Sinus Membrane Lift: Preparing Your Jaw for Dental Implants at Schaefer Dental Group in Lansing, Michigan
If you want to replace a missing or failing tooth with a state-of-the-art dental implant, your dentist in Lansing, Michigan will first need to make sure that you have sufficient bone in your jaw to securely anchor the implant. This is especially critical for an upper back tooth.
If there is not enough bone under the gum where the implant needs to go, the base of the implant could end up poking through a nearby air space called a sinus cavity. Since you can’t anchor a dental implant to air, this presents a problem—but it is one that can often be solved with a minor in-office surgical procedure called a “sinus membrane lift” or sinus augmentation.
Why is a Sinus Lift Necessary?
A sinus lift involves adding bone to fill in the bottom of that air space, essentially raising the floor of the sinus cavity. There are several reasons why there might not be enough bone in this area:
-
Anatomy: For some people, it’s simply a matter of the size and shape of their natural sinus cavities.
-
Bone Deterioration: If a tooth has been missing for a long time, the bone that once surrounded it may have begun to deteriorate. Jawbone needs stimulation from the teeth to stay strong; when teeth are lost, this stimulation ceases, leading to a reduction in bone volume and density.
-
Periodontal Disease: If your tooth loss was due to periodontal (gum) disease, your tooth-supporting bone may have been reduced as a result of the infection.
No matter the reason, a sinus membrane lift performed at Schaefer Dental Group can create the necessary bone volume for a successful implant placement.
Bone Grafting Materials
Where does this additional bone come from? While it can be bone from elsewhere in your body, most often the grafting material consists of laboratory-processed materials. These bone-grafting materials may originate from a human or animal donor (usually a cow) or be synthetic products. All materials are:
-
Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
-
Specially treated to render them completely sterile, non-contagious, and free of rejection factors.
For the most part, these grafts act as scaffolds that the body will eventually replace with its own, strong, natural bone.
The Sinus Lift Procedure
Prior to scheduling the surgery, your Lansing dentist will carefully assess the shape, location, and health of the sinus using X-ray imaging. The surgery itself is usually carried out under local anesthesia, by numbing the area, just as is done for a routine filling. Additional sedation or anti-anxiety medication may be administered orally or intravenously for maximum comfort.
Once numb, the procedure follows these steps:
-
Access: An incision is made in your gum to expose the jawbone.
-
Lifting: A small opening is made in the bone to reveal the membrane that lines the sinus. This membrane is gently raised.
-
Grafting: The space beneath the lifted membrane is filled with the bone grafting material.
-
Closure: The gum is then stitched back up.
In some cases, the implant(s) can be placed directly into the grafting material before the gum is closed. More often, however, the surgical site is allowed to heal for approximately 6-7 months before the implant is placed.
What to Expect After Sinus Surgery
You may experience moderate swelling and some minor discomfort, generally lasting a few days—similar to having an upper impacted wisdom tooth removed. Over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication is usually recommended to help minimize this. A course of antibiotics may be prescribed to prevent infection. If you experience minor congestion, a decongestant can be helpful. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, discuss scheduling your surgery for a time when symptoms are minimal.
Contact Our Lansing Office Today
If you need advanced preparatory procedures like a sinus lift to achieve your dream of a permanent tooth replacement, contact Schaefer Dental Group for an appointment. We offer comprehensive solutions including Dental Implants.