The 101 Of A Sinus Lifting Procedure

With an increase in dental implant procedures, sinus lifting has also gained popularity.

What is a sinus lifting procedure?

A sinus augmentation or sinus lift is a procedure that makes placing dental implants easier. Some people who require dental implants may lack the bone density needed for implants due to bone loss. Bone loss usually happens due to advanced periodontitis, disease, infection, or missing teeth. Teeth loss can occur due to gum disease, cavities, trauma, arthritis, hypertension, diabetes, poor nutrition, and smoking. A sinus lifting adds bone to the area between the premolars and the molars.

The reasons why someone requires a sinus lift procedure include the following:

• the maxillary sinus is too near to the upper jaw
• tooth loss
• tooth decay
• periodontal disease

What you need to know about the process

Preparation

This dentist analyzes a patient’s oral health after physical examinations and imaging studies. The individual case will guide the dentist in choosing the most suitable graft. These include:

• Allogeneic bone: from cadavers
• Autogenous bone: taken from your body
• Xenograft: cow bone

Procedure

The steps in the procedure include the following:

• The surgeon cuts the upper jaw’s gum tissue.
• The jawbone is then made visible by raising your gum tissue.
• The dentist makes a small circular cut in your bone.
• The bone fragment is then raised into your maxillary sinus cavity.
• The hole is then filled using some graft material, and the incision is closed.

Recovery and aftercare

Dental implants will be inserted between 4 and 12 months after the surgery. The length of this time depends on the amount of grafting material used.

For proper recovery:

• use antibiotics
• avoid sneezing and vigorous nasal blowing
• avoid brushing until the doctor recommends
• avoid drinking with a straw
• avoid smoking

Treatments to help ease the process

Ashraf Dentistry offers deep IV sedation dentistry and PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy) at his clinic to ease anxious patients and support speedy healing when having a sinus lift procedure.

Sedation dentistry

In sedation dentistry, medication is used to make patients more comfortable during procedures on their teeth. Except for those individuals who are given general anesthesia, patients are often awake during the process. The benefits of this technique include the following:

• no delay in dental work due to patient anxiety
• the dentist can perform complex procedures efficiently
• fast-acting sedation reducing procedure time
• dosage adjustment according to the patient’s needs is easy
• conscious sedation so you can respond to verbal cues
• almost no recall of the procedure

Sedation dentistry is required for individuals with the following:

• low pain tolerance
• dental phobia or anxiety
• need for complex or multiple dental works
• difficulty staying still
• severe gag reflex
• sensitive teeth
• difficulty responding to sedatives

Ashraf Dentistry has a specially-trained anesthesiologist who controls and monitors the amount of sedation you’ll receive, ensuring safe and effective control levels.

PRP Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

Plasma, the liquid component of blood, is mainly composed of protein and water. It enables the movement of white and red blood cells through the bloodstream. Platelets, a specific variety of blood cells, are crucial to healing and help the blood clot. They contain thousands of growth factor-related proteins. PRP injections can be used to assist patients in recovering quickly from treatments done to the throat, mouth, nose, and jaw. It is extensively used in gum disease treatment, tooth extraction, and dental implant surgery. Most patients who undergo dental surgery or procedure are good candidates for PRP therapy. It has been used in various oral and maxillofacial procedures, from simple tooth extractions and dental implants to more complicated bone grafts.

The advantages include the following:

• Enhances the rate of bone formation
• Increase bone density surrounding implants
• Promotes bonding of bone grafts to patients’ own bone
• Tissue regeneration
• Faster healing of incision sites
• Reduced risk of infection
• Lessen discomfort and pain

Sinus lifting is a procedure with a high success rate when you follow all instructions and is performed by the right dentist.