Dental implants are titanium posts we secure in your jawbone to replace missing teeth. However, they require ample bone structure to secure, which many patients lack due to bone resorption. Natural teeth have roots that extend into your jawbone, both securing your smile and providing stimulation to keep your jaw healthy. When you lose roots, your jawbone loses vital stimulation and begins to lose mass and volume over time. Fortunately, there are methods to rebuild lost bone! At St. Apollonia Dental, we provide sinus lift treatment to restore your upper jawbone, allowing us to secure dental implants that anchor your smile in place. While the words “sinus lift” may sound scary, we’re here to help you understand what it is and why you may need one.
Understanding the Sinus Lift
Contrary to popular belief, a sinus lift doesn’t actually alter your sinus membrane. Instead, this procedure focuses on adding more bone structure to your upper jawbone!
After bone loss, the sinuses sometimes shift downward, filling the now-empty space. Unfortunately, that puts your membrane directly in the path of a dental implant! Additionally, some patients just have naturally large sinuses, which also disrupts the ability to place dental implants.
A sinus lift involves shifting your sinus membrane upwards and filling the empty space with bone grafting material to rebuild your bone! However, there are two types of sinus lift approaches that we perform, depending on the amount of bone loss.
Direct Sinus Lift
When significant bone structure is lost, we may use a direct sinus lift approach.
This method involves making an opening in your upper jawbone to access your sinus. Then, using specialized tools, we gently lift your membrane up and out of the way. Afterwards, we fill the empty space with bone grafting material meant to facilitate bone growth. Over the next 3 to 6 months, your bone will heal, becoming solid and strong.
Once your jawbone is fully healed, we’ll place dental implants in your bone to attach a crown, bridge, or denture restoration!
Indirect Sinus Bump
When patients are missing less bone structure, we use an indirect sinus lift!
This is a more conservative approach, often referred to as a “sinus bump”. Instead of creating a window in your jaw, we simply create a hole in your bone where the future implant will be placed! Then, we gently lift your membrane up and out of the way to make more room in your upper jaw.
After filling the space with bone grafting material, we’re usually able to place the implant during the same visit! Because this process is less invasive, patients like you typically experience less discomfort and heal more quickly than with the direct approach.
Restore Your Smile in Sterling Heights With Dental Implants
At St. Apollonia Dental, we use two kinds of dental implants.
Conventional dental implants are larger and provide incredible strength and stability. In contrast, mini dental implants are almost half the size of conventional implants, but just as effective!
During your free consultation, we will take a 3D X-ray of your jawbone to assess your bone quantity and density.
When your jawbone is dense enough, we may be able to utilize mini dental implants! These titanium posts use a minimally invasive process, resulting in a significantly faster healing time compared to their conventional counterparts.
Placing mini implants often involves a sinus bump, rather than a direct sinus lift, as mini implants require significantly less bone structure! This allows for faster healing, less discomfort, and a more affordable solution.
However, for those with significant bone loss and softer bone, we’ll use the direct approach to place conventional dental implants. Though this process takes longer, conventional implants are reliable, securing your smile in just a few months.
Book a Free Consultation To Learn if You Need a Sinus Lift!
If you’re considering replacing missing teeth with dental implants, you may need to rebuild your jawbone structure. Fortunately, sinus lift procedures help rebuild lost bone, allowing you to restore your smile with ease. Whether you need a sinus lift or a bump, St. Apollonia Dental has a solution for your smile.
Schedule your free implant consultation today to learn if you need a sinus lift procedure!
