Is a Sinus Lift Required for Dental Implant Treatment?

Sinus Lift in Syracuse, NY | Affordable Dentistry Near Me

If you’ve considered replacing missing teeth with dental implants before, you likely know that you need a healthy and full jawbone to do so. Because we secure these implants into your bone, they require sufficient jaw structure for support. Unfortunately, tooth loss has a significant impact on your jawbone, rendering many patients ineligible for implant treatment. Patients like you often need additional procedures, such as a bone graft or sinus lift, to create room for the implant to secure. However, these procedures sound intimidating, leaving many patients wondering if a sinus lift is always required to qualify for dental implant treatment.

Understanding the Sinus Lift

Natural teeth have roots that anchor into your jawbone, keeping your smile in place and stimulating your jaw.

When you lose teeth, you lose this vital stimulation, resulting in the loss of mass and volume over time.

In some cases, your sinus membrane then extends into the area where your bone once was, creating a thinner layer between your jaw and sinus. This complicates implant placement, as we need sufficient vertical bone to secure dental implants without affecting your sinus membrane. In other cases, you may have a naturally short upper jawbone or a larger sinus, which creates similar issues.

At Brent Bradford, DDS, we often use a sinus lift procedure, which creates more vertical bone in your jaw!

Sinus Lift in Syracuse, NY | Direct Sinus Lift Process
A direct sinus lift involves creating an opening in your jaw, gently pushing the sinus membrane upward, and placing bone grafting material to create more vertical bone.

Direct Sinus Lift

There are two primary kinds of sinus lifts we perform: direct and indirect.

Typically, we reserve a direct sinus lift for cases where there’s significant bone loss in the upper jaw.

This procedure involves creating a small opening in your upper jawbone to access the sinus directly. Then, using specialized dental tools, we carefully push the membrane upwards and out of the way, filling the empty space with bone grafting material. Usually within 6 to 8 months, this material facilitates bone growth, creating more vertical bone to secure dental implants.

Sinus Lift in Syracuse, NY | Indirect Sinus Lift Process
An indirect sinus lift involves drilling a hole where the implant will be placed, carefully pushing the sinus membrane upwards, and filling the hole with bone grafting material.

Indirect Sinus Lift

When possible, we prefer to use an indirect sinus lift to increase bone height, as it’s a less invasive procedure.

This procedure involves drilling a hole in your jawbone where the future implant will go, reaching your sinus membrane. Then, using special tools, we will gently lift your sinus upward in what is known as a “sinus bump”.

With your membrane out of the way, we’ll then fill the empty space with bone grafting material. Typically, this less invasive method enables us to immediately place an implant, which helps stimulate the jaw and promotes bone growth. In less than a month, your implant will be fully secure in your jaw!

Experience the Mini Implant Difference

Conventional dental implants are approximately 5 mm in diameter, requiring a significant amount of jawbone structure. Unfortunately, their large size often necessitates direct sinus lifts, as we have to restore a larger quantity of bone. By using this more direct procedure, we can create enough vertical bone height in your upper jaw to secure these large implants in place.

Sinus Lift in Syracuse, NY | Affordable Dentistry Near MeHowever, there is another, much less invasive option. At Brent Bradford, DDS, we often use mini dental implants, rather than their conventional counterparts! These implants are significantly smaller and sleeker, enabling patients with minimal jaw structure to restore their smiles.

Mini implants are less than 3 mm in diameter, requiring much less bone structure. Because they require less bone, mini implants often allow us to use indirect sinus lifts instead! Using a sinus bump rather than a direct sinus lift provides for much faster healing, as it’s a gentler procedure. In some cases, we can even skip the sinus lift altogether due to the minimally invasive nature of the mini implant process!

During your free implant consultation, we will take a 3D digital X-ray of your smile to assess your jawbone. If we need to perform a sinus lift procedure, we’ll likely use the less invasive sinus bump to restore your smile with a mini implant-supported crown, bridge, or denture!

Visit Brent Bradford, DDS, To Learn if You’re Eligible for Mini Implants!

Dental implants require a healthy jawbone for support, which many patients lack. Fortunately, a sinus lift helps create more vertical bone, allowing patients to restore their smiles! At Brent Bradford, DDS, we perform both direct and indirect sinus lifts, depending on how much bone you need to restore. For mini implant cases, we often use the less invasive sinus bump to create vertical bone! This technique allows you to heal faster and replace your teeth sooner.

Book a free implant consultation to discover if you need a sinus lift procedure to be eligible for dental implant treatment!

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