For some patients, the upper molar area is a difficult area for dental implants due to insufficient bone height and the close proximity to the sinus. A sinus augmentation or lift is a procedure that corrects this problem by raising the sinus floor and placing a bone graft to create enough height for a dental implant.
To make room for the bone graft, the sinus membrane is moved upward, or “lifted.” An incision is made in the gum to expose the bone, a small circle is cut into the bone, and the bone piece is then lifted into the sinus cavity like a trap door. The bone graft material is added between the jaw and the maxillary sinus, which is on either side of the nose. The bone graft material is a substance called freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA). This material, which is obtained from a donor, must pass rigorous testing and the strictest guidelines of the American Association of Tissue Banks. This verifies that every graft is free of disease before being used on a patient. After six to nine months of healing, your natural bone has grown around the grafted bone. Once healing is complete, the bone now has the ideal dimensions in both quality and quantity for dental implant placement.
