The upper jaw or maxilla is a complex bone in the mid face that houses the upper teeth and comprises of the roof of the mouth, the floor of the nasal cavity, the floors of the eye sockets and the sinuses. The maxilla has one pair of sinuses, either side of the nose. These cavities are empty spaces that make the bones lighter. They are lined with a membrane and can get filled with mucus when the patient has a head cold and occasionally other pathology.
The roots of the upper first, second and third molar teeth lie in very close proximity to the sinus floor. When these teeth are extracted the bone in the jaw is resorbed away and the floor of the sinus drops down leaving very little bone volume available for an implant.
A sinus lift procedure may be required to augment the bone prior to placing an implant. This can be done through two techniques, one through a lateral bony window, the other through the bony ridge itself. The basic concept is to gently raise the sinus membrane away from the sinus floor and place bone graft material into the space created. This graft material will turn over into native bone increasing the bone volume available to successfully place a dental implant.
This is a routine and predictable procedure in implant dentistry and can be carried out under just local anaesthetia or with intravenous sedation for optimal patient comfort and recovery.
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