Sinus Lift − Wilmington DE
Wilmington DE Oral Surgeon, Louis K. Rafetto, DMD, provides Sinus Grafting to make it possible for many patients to have dental implants. Wilmington Office Phone Number Wilmington Office Phone Number 302-477-1800
The maxillary sinuses are behind your cheeks and on top of the upper teeth. Sinuses are hollow cavities that serve to warm and humidify the air we breathe. When these upper teeth are removed, the bone separating the mouth from the sinus cavity begins to atrophy. Since dental implants need bone to hold them in place, when the bone becomes very thin, it is impossible to place implants in a manner that will likely succeed.
Sinus grafting makes it possible for many patients to have dental implants when years ago there was no other option other than wearing loose dentures or other prosthesis.
Procedure
This graft involves placing bone into the bottom of your maxillary sinus with the intention of increasing the total volume of bone in the posterior maxilla (upper jaw). Dr. Rafetto enters the sinus through a gum incision along side of the upper jaw where the upper teeth are or used to be. The membrane that lines the sinus is lifted upward and the graft is inserted into the floor of the sinus. Usually this involves the placement of a limited amount of your own bone (generally taken from a near by area of your jaw) combined with bone from another outside source, such as cadaver bone. After several months (6 – 8) of healing, dental implants can be inserted and stabilized in this new grafted tissue.
On occasion, enough bone between the upper jaw ridge and the bottom of the sinus is available to stabilize the implant well enough that sinus grafting and implant placement can sometimes be performed as a single procedure. If not enough bone is available, the sinus graft will have to be performed first, then the graft will have to mature for several months, depending upon the type of graft material used. Once the graft has matured, the implants can be placed.
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