Sinus lift surgery is a procedure that your dentist can perform when you don’t have enough bone material in your upper jaw to support dental implants.
The surgery aims to increase the bone density and volume in the upper posterior area of your jaw in preparation of receiving dental implants. Your dental surgeon will make an incision into the gum to make an opening into the maxillary sinus cavity.
Your surgeon will gently raise the sinus membrane so that bone graft material, usually in the form of bone granules, can be placed between the sinus floor and the sinus membrane. Your dentist will also add a supporting barrier membrane to help keep the bone granules in place. After everything is in place, the gum tissue will either be stitched back together with sutures or will be laser sealed.
Healing time for sinus lift surgery can vary between individuals. Depending on the size of the area being treated, the type of bone grafting material used, how complex the surgery was and your overall general health.
On average it can take around 2 weeks for the surgery to heal, but your dentist won’t conduct any dental implants until the bone in your upper jaw becomes solid and strong enough to support the implants. This can take anything from 3 to 6 months.
Sinus lift surgery is performed under local anaesthetic, but you may experience some post-operative discomfort or pain, gum swelling or bruising and minor bleeding from the wound site. Your dentist will prescribe painkillers and anti-inflammatory treatments for you while you recover.
