Sinus Lift in Dental Care – Prepare Your Jaw for Implants

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.