Sinus Augmentation

Sometimes dentists run into a problem in treating a patient with missing back teeth who needs dental implants. If the position of the patient’s sinus in the upper posterior area of the mouth is too low, it may not be possible to fit a dental implant where it needs to go.

Fortunately there are now ways to augment and reposition the bone under the sinus floor so as to create the proper space for the dental implants and crowns that will replace the missing teeth. Sinus augmentation procedures enjoy an impressive 95% success rate.

One common procedure is to use grafting material in the back of the mouth so as to encourage the patient’s own bone growth. As the bone grows into the area, it replaces the grafting material and provides stability for a dental implant.

In another, even simpler, procedure, the bone under the sinus floor is pushed up to the desired position, and bone replacement material is placed underneath that bone. As with the first procedure, the patient’s own bone then gradually grows into position to replace the material that was added, and to provide stability for a dental implant.

It generally takes 6-10 months for the posterior area of the mouth to fully heal after a sinus augmentation procedure, and for the bone to fully grow into position. In the small number of cases where the procedure does not result in sufficient bone growth for proper implant placement, it is often possible to generate the additional necessary growth by performing a second augmentation procedure.