(Sinus Lift, 3rd Molar Removal, Tooth Extractions, Bone Graft)

Sinus Lift

Sinus lift is a surgical procedure which aims to increase the amount of bone in the posterior maxilla (upper jaw bone) in the area of premolar and molar teeth by lifting the lower sinus membrane and placing a bone graft.

When a maxillary molar or premolar is lost the bone collapses causing a loss in both height and width of surrounding bone in addition the floor of the maxillary sinus expands this leads to a loss in volume of bone needed for dental implants.

The goal of the sinus lift is to graft extra bone into the maxillary sinus, so more bone is available to support a dental implant. CT Scan and x-rays are taken to map out the patients upper jaw and sinuses, height and width.

There are several variations of the sinus lift technique:

• Traditional or lateral window technique: Caldwell wc technique
  
  In this technique the surgeon makes an incision into the gum then pulls it back exposing the lateral bone wall of the sinus, then creates a ”window” to the sinus which expose the Schneiderian membrane which is separated from the bone and bone graft material is placed into the newly created space the gums are sutured close and graft is left to heal for 4-8 months.
• Osteotome technique / “Summers Technique”
  
  This technique is less invasive and is performed when the sinus floor needs to be lifted less than 4 millimeters and is performed by flapping back gum tissue and making a socket in the bone within 1-2 millimeters short of the sinus membrane. The floor of the sinus is then lifted by tapping the sinus floor with the use of osteotomes and a dental implant is normally placed at the same time.

3rd Molars

The last teeth to erupt into the mouth are called the 3rd molars (otherwise known as “wisdom teeth”). These teeth are often problematic for a number of reasons. They sometimes erupt in the wrong direction, or into the neighboring tooth, jeopardizing the health of that tooth. They are particularly prone to periodontal disease and tooth decay, since they are located so far back and are difficult to clean. For these reasons and more, it is often recommended that they be removed, both to treat or prevent disease from occurring.

Tooth Extractions

Sometimes teeth need to be removed due to decay, periodontal disease, fractures or trauma. Having a tooth removed or “pulled” is called an extraction. An extraction is performed with local anesthesia, which numbs any pain so you will feel only pressure. Before an extraction occurs, a complete examination of your teeth will be performed. This is done to allow your dentist to evaluate the position of the teeth and determine if future problems may occur. X-rays can view additional risk factors such as decay and periodontal disease. Early examinations are recommended to identify problems that can arise in the future.

Bone Graft

If you do not have the bone necessary for dental implants, your dentist may recommend bone grafting using synthetic and bank bone and placing it in the jaw until it grows into the natural bone as a first step in the dental implant process.