Oral Surgery · Washington DC
Why a Sinus Lift
Why a Sinus Lift
The maxillary sinus sits directly above the upper back teeth. When those teeth are lost, two things happen: the bone beneath them shrinks, and the sinus cavity expands downward. This leaves too little bone height between the mouth and the sinus to safely anchor an implant.
A sinus lift corrects this. The sinus membrane is gently elevated and bone graft material is placed beneath it. Over several months, the graft matures into solid bone, creating the height needed for implant placement.
You May Need a Sinus Lift If
The Procedure
Cone-beam CT measures the distance between the ridge crest and the sinus floor. This determines how much bone height needs to be added.
Under local anesthesia or sedation, a small window is created in the lateral sinus wall. The sinus membrane is gently lifted upward from the bone floor.
Bone graft material fills the space between the elevated membrane and the existing bone floor. The access site is closed with sutures.
The graft integrates over 6 to 9 months. Once mature, the new bone supports implant placement with the same stability as natural bone.
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