Sinus Bone Augmentation

For some patients, the upper back jaw is a difficult area for dental implants due to insufficient bone and the close proximity to the sinus. A sinus augmentation or lift is a procedure that corrects this problem by raising the sinus floor and developing bone in the upper back jaw in the area of the molars to make it taller.

To make room for the bone, the sinus membrane has to be moved upward, or "lifted." First an incision is made in the gum to expose the bone. Then a small circle is cut into the bone, and the bone piece is lifted into the sinus cavity like a trap door. The bone graft material is added between the jaw and the maxillary sinuses, which are on either side of the nose. The bone graft material may be either bone from the same patient or a substance called freeze-dried bone allografts (FDBA) which is obtained from a donor. This bone graft material substance is called freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA). FDBA is obtained from a donor and every vial must pass rigorous testing and the strictest guidelines of the American Association of Tissue Banks to verify that every graft is free of disease before being allowed to be used on any patient. After six to nine months of healing, your bone has replaced the grafted bone. Once healing is complete, the bone now has the ideal dimensions in both quality and quantity for ideal dental implant placement.