Implants need bone. We’ll create some if you don’t have enough.
Dental implants are a great option for people who have suffered tooth loss. They’re a permanently anchored, artificial root-and-tooth system. Titanium screws integrate with your jawbone creating a strong foundation for your replacement teeth. It’s a neat, efficient, long-lasting solution that has saved millions of smiles.
But, as you might imagine, implant success relies on the strength of the jawbone that anchors it. Unfortunately, the jawbones of people who have experienced tooth loss aren’t always in the best shape.
The less-dense, upper-back jaw is particularly problematic. When upper teeth are lost, a thin shell of bone is often the only thing that separates your sinuses (air-filled cavities above your molars) from your empty sockets.
If you don’t have enough bone to support an implant we can create it through a procedure known as a Sinus Lift. There are two types of commonly used sinus lifts: Oseotome and Antral. Both raise the sinus floor to create enough vertical bone to support your dental implants.
Antral Sinus Lift before implant placement
The antral lift is done when minimal bone exists and more must be created before implant placement. We enter through a small incision in the side of your jaw, to reveal the sinus membrane, elevate it and insert donor bone into the floor of the sinus. The site is then closed and sutured. After about six-months, the bone becomes part of your upper jaw, creating the height needed to support your dental implants.
Osteotome Sinus Lift with Simultaneous Implant Placement
When there’s enough bone to support an implant but not enough to totally encapsulate it, the osteotome sinus lift is the preferred approach. This procedure can be completed at the time of implant placement. After a hole in your bone is created for the dental implant, the bone graft is passed though this hole. The implant is then placed, and will eventually integrate with your new bone graft.