Hearing that you need sinus lift surgery in Ajax before you can have dental implants successfully might initially be alarming, but this is an extremely common procedure and is tried and tested.
Dental implants in Bowmanville consist of a small post or screw inserted surgically into the jawbone. For treatment to be successful, the screw needs to be surrounded by a certain amount of strong, healthy jawbone to ensure Osseointegration can occur. Osseointegration is where new bone cells grow on and around the implants, firmly fusing them in place.
Why Is a Sinus Lift Necessary?
You may need a sinus lift if you have lost teeth in your upper jaw, especially your upper back teeth, due to the skull’s anatomy. Your sinus cavities are located just above your back teeth and are air-filled spaces, and the jawbone is naturally thinner in this area. If you lost these back teeth quite some time ago, the jawbone can gradually be resorbed, or bone can be destroyed due to periodontal or gum disease. Consequently, there may not be enough bone to successfully place dental implants in Whitby. Also, the shape and size of your sinus cavities can vary, and they may naturally be too close to your upper jaw for dental implants to be placed without a bone graft, and sinus cavities can get larger with age.
Determining If You Need a Sinus Lift
When you first visit Durham Dental Solutions for your initial consultation for dental implants in Pickering, we will need to assess your dental health carefully. The assessment includes a visual examination of your mouth and diagnostic tests that include x-rays and a cone beam CT scan.
Performing these tests allows us to study the anatomy of your jaws and all other associated structures, including your sinus cavities, in greater detail and measure your jawbone’s height and width. Using these measurements, our experienced dental implant dentists in Courtice can quantify the amount of bone available for dental implants. They can quickly determine if there is enough or when a sinus lift is required.
What is a Sinus Lift?
A sinus lift increases the height of bone available in your upper jaw for dental implant placement in Oshawa, ensuring plenty of bone surrounds the implant screw. A small incision is made to access your jawbone so a tiny hole can be created in the jawbone, exposing the sinus membrane. The membrane is carefully lifted upwards to create a space between your jawbone and the sinus membrane. The space is then packed with bone grafting material. Once complete, the gum tissue is stitched together, and the area is left to heal.
Afterwards, it’s perfectly normal to experience some swelling and possibly minor discomfort. You may also be prescribed antibiotics to help prevent infection or instructed to rinse using an antimicrobial mouthwash. It’s better to avoid blowing your nose and, if possible, try to avoid sneezing too forcefully.
Is a Sinus Lift Painful?
A sinus lift in Newcastle shouldn’t feel painful, and we make sure the area is thoroughly numbed before carrying out this procedure. We know the thought of oral surgery can seem a bit scary, but these are procedures that we carry out regularly and which are very low risk. If you are concerned about the thought of pain or feel anxious about the thought of having a sinus lift, ask us about sedation dentistry.
We can provide various forms of sedation dentistry in Clarington, ranging from mild sedation, such as Nitrous oxide or laughing gas, to intravenous sedation provided by a certified anesthesiologist. Using sedation dentistry ensures that even the most nervous patients can comfortably relax in the dental chair and receive treatment.