Sinus Lift

April 20, 2015 | Last update on April 20, 2015

A sinus lift is surgical procedure that adds bone to your upper jaw in the area of your molars and premolars. It's sometimes called a sinus augmentation. The bone is added between your jaw and the maxillary sinuses, which are on either side of your nose. To make room for the bone, the sinus membrane has to be moved upward, or "lifted." A sinus lift is done when there is not enough bone height in the upper jaw, or the sinuses are too close to the jaw, for dental implants to be placed.

Patients who have the following may be good candidates for sinus lift:

• Lost more than one tooth in the posterior maxilla.
• Lost a significant amount of bone in the posterior maxilla.
• Missing teeth due to genetics or birth defect.
• Minus most of the maxillary teeth and need a strong sinus floor for multiple implants.