A maxillary sinus floor augmentation procedure (sometimes known informally as a sinus-lift or sinus procedure) is a surgical procedure performed by an appropriately trained dentist or dental specialist, to augment bone mass in the top jaw (maxilla), which increases the likelihood of successful placement of dental implants.
Bone from another part of the body, such as the iliac crest, a human or animal donor (from an accredited tissue bank), or artificial bone grafting material is grafted into the bone (endosseous) above the floor of the maxillary sinus. In the upper jaw the amount of bone is reduced by the presence of the sinus.
A sinus lift is done when there is not enough bone in the upper jaw, or the sinuses are too close to the jaw, for dental implants to be placed. 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 common during the last 15 years as more people get dental implants to replace missing teeth.