Sinus lift

The maxillary sinus is an air space above the upper back teeth. When those teeth have been missing, or when the sinus hangs low, the remaining bone can be too short for an implant. A sinus lift (also called sinus elevation) adds height from inside that space.

It is planned from imaging, the same way other bone grafts are. A socket graft fills the hole a tooth leaves behind. A sinus lift addresses the air space above the ridge. Some patients need one, some need both, and some need neither.

This is discussed when an implant is wanted in the upper premolar or molar area and the scan shows a low sinus floor or a short ridge.

• Upper molars have been gone long enough that the sinus has dropped into the space
• A dentist or another surgeon said the bone height is short for an implant
• A full-arch plan needs more bone in the back of the upper jaw
• You want sinus elevation and grafting explained before you agree

If the upper jaw has very little bone left in several areas, remote-anchorage implants may be part of the same conversation. You will be told which option matches the scan.

The consultation is an exam and a review of the scan. Dr. Curtis or Dr. Samimi will say whether a sinus lift is needed, whether an implant can be placed in the same visit, and which graft material he recommends.

The surgery is longer than a simple socket graft. It is done in the office, often with IV sedation, with local anesthesia at the site. After the graft is in, the gum is closed. The bone under the sinus is then given time to mature — commonly on the order of three to six months — and a CBCT is taken before the implant is planned. If the existing bone can already stabilize an implant, the fixture is sometimes placed at the same time.

The first days

Soreness is similar to other grafting, often with a bit more cheek swelling because the gum was lifted. Use the graft aftercare page: gauze, ice on the day of surgery only, no straw, and no hard rinsing that day. A stuffy feeling on that side can happen. Do not blow your nose forcefully until the office lifts that limit.

The first weeks

Stay off that side of the mouth for the first week if a graft was placed in a socket at the same time. Swelling often peaks around day 3. The gum surface usually settles over about three weeks. Sutures may stay longer than they do after a simple extraction — about two weeks is typical for a graft site.

The months before an implant

The graft is still maturing after the gum looks healed. The implant date waits on a new scan, commonly several months later. Do not assume the site is ready because it feels comfortable.

Call us if…

• Bleeding from the nose or the socket keeps going after you have followed the pressure instructions
• Swelling is worse after day 3
• Graft particles keep coming out, or the incision opens
• You are still numb the morning after surgery
• You develop a rash on an antibiotic, a fever, or worsening sinus pain

What a sinus lift costs depends on the plan written at your visit. Dr. Chad M. Curtis or Dr. Soroush Samimi will tell you the surgical fee after they have examined you and looked at current imaging.

The things that usually change that fee:

• Whether grafting or a membrane is part of the same surgery
• The anesthesia plan — local anesthesia, IV sedation, or general anesthesia
• The restoration your dentist builds afterward, such as a crown, a bridge, or a full arch
• Whether new imaging is needed before a plan can be written

This office takes most PPO dental plans. Call (561) 278-0004 after the consultation for an estimate of your portion. The tooth or teeth your dentist makes on top of the surgery are usually billed by that dental office.