Sinus lift, explained.

A sinus lift — also called sinus augmentation — increases the amount of bone in the upper jaw by adding bone into the space between your molars and premolars and the floor of the sinus. To make that room, the sinus membrane is carefully moved upward, or "lifted", which is where the procedure gets its name.

It is a procedure handled by a specialist — a periodontist or an oral and maxillofacial surgeon — because it works directly against the sinus membrane, and because the planning matters as much as the surgery.

Some people need implants but do not have the bone support for them, because the bone has receded after tooth loss. In the upper back jaw this is compounded by the sinus itself, which tends to expand downward into the space once the teeth are gone. The result is a thin shelf of bone where an implant of usable length will not fit.

We decide where the graft material will come from. The same three options apply as for any bone graft: your own bone (autogenous), a synthetic substitute (alloplastic), or processed bone of bovine origin (xenograft). If any of those raise a question for you, say so — there is usually more than one workable option.

X-rays, generally a 3D scan, let us study the jaw and the sinus and work out precisely what is needed before anything begins.

1. The gum tissue is opened under local anaesthetic.
2. The tissue is raised to expose the bone beneath.
3. A small circular window is cut in the bone.
4. The bony piece is lifted up into the sinus cavity space, and the space below it is filled with graft material.
5. The incision is closed, and healing begins.

Implants are generally placed about four to twelve months later. That interval gives the new bone time to merge properly with your existing bone, and how long it takes depends on how much bone was needed. We tell you when the site is ready.

Recovery is much like any other graft — swelling that peaks around day three or four, a soft diet, and ice for the first two days. What is specific to a sinus lift is pressure. Do not blow your nose at all, and sneeze with your mouth open, so the pressure between your mouth and your sinus stays equalised. Blowing pushes against the graft and can perforate the sinus.

A nasal spray is prescribed to keep the nose and sinus clear so mucus does not build up. If any bone particles come through your nose, contact us immediately — it needs to be checked, though nothing is done until healing is complete.

The full post-operative instructions for a sinus lift are on the site, and we give you the same sheet before you leave.