Dental Sinus Lift Surgery in Toronto

Your maxillary sinuses are located on top of your back teeth. When molar teeth in the upper jaw are missing the sinus cavity becomes larger due to your natural bone deteriorating over time. A sinus lift is a surgery that adds bone to your upper jaw in the area of your premolars and molars. It’s also referred to as sinus augmentation. The bone is added between your jaw and the maxillary sinuses, which are on either side of your nose . To make room for the bone, the sinus membrane is surgically moved upward/”lifted”.

Why Is a Sinus Lift Needed?

A sinus lift is needed when there is not enough bone height in the upper jaw, or the sinuses are too close to the jaw, for dental implants to be placed and there are several reasons for this:

• Many people who have lost teeth in their upper jaw — particularly the back teeth, or molars — do not have enough bone for implants to be placed. Because of the anatomy of the skull, the back of the upper jaw has less bone than the lower jaw.
• Bone may have been lost because of periodontal (gum) disease.
• Tooth loss may have led to a loss of bone as well. Once teeth are gone, bone begins to be resorbed (absorbed back into the body). If teeth have been missing for a long time, there often is not enough bone left to place implants.
• The maxillary sinus may be too close to the upper jaw for implants to be placed. The shape and the size of this sinus varies from person to person. The sinus also can get larger as you age.

Sinus lifts have become a common procedure as more people want dental implants to replace their missing teeth. You will need X-rays taken before your sinus lift so the dentist can study the anatomy of your jaw and sinus. You will also require a special type of computed tomography (CT scan) which allows the dentist to accurately measure the height and width of your existing bone and determine the health of your sinus. Over the course of his career, Dr. Kostirko’s post doctoral studies in Europe, USA and Canada have given him hands-on knowledge and experience in treating advanced fields of modern dentistry; including sinus lift procedures.

Our Sinus Lift Procedure:

After reviewing your X-Rays and CT scan Dr. Kostirko will decide whether a direct sinus lift or indirect sinus lift best fits your upper jaw’s bone height. A typical sinus lift procedure involves:

1. Create an incision and raise the tissue around your back teeth.
2. Push the sinus membrane away from the jaw bone.
3. Fill the space above the upper jaw with bone graft material.
4. Stitch the tissue back together.

Following a sinus lift surgery, it’s normal to experience swelling and bleeding — but most patients report minimum pain and discomfort . Dr. Kostirko at BloorWestSmiles Dental usually recommends these aftercare instructions:

• Avoid blowing your nose and forceful sneezing
• Take antibiotics to prevent infection
• Rinse with an antimicrobial mouthwash

Approximately one week following your procedure Dr. Kostirko will remove your stitches, continue to monitor your healing over the course of several months and decide when the dental implant procedure can be performed. In some cases Dr. Kostirko is able to surgically place the implant during the sinus lift procedure. For more information regarding sinus lifts to help in the placement of dental implants, call Dr. Kostirko and his team to schedule a consultation.