What is a Sinus Lift?

An alexandria sinus lift is a safe and effect procedure performed on approximately 20% of patients who are having dental implants placed. To facilitate bone growth to support a dental implant, the sinus membrane is pushed up and grafting material is placed. After a certain amount of time, this grafting material will facilitate the regeneration of enough bone to properly secure a dental implant.

A sinus lift may be necessary for any of the following reasons:

• Deficient bone quality and/or quantity
• Deterioration of the bone as a result of untreated periodontal disease
• Maxillary sinus too close to jaw
• Physical trauma to face or jaw
• Bone loss caused by lack of stimulation due to missing teeth
• Bone loss or deficiency that develops following the removal of a cyst or tumor or extraction of a tooth

Procedural Steps

The first step in the sinus lift procedure is an initial examination, which will include a CT scan and X-rays to determine whether the bone is deficient and provide information on structures such as blood vessels and nerves to avoid during surgery. Gathering this information is essential to ensuring you have a safe, painless, and effective procedure.

On the day of the procedure, your periodontist will begin by administering a local anesthetic, which will prevent you from experiencing pain while the procedure is performed. Patients who have dental phobia or difficulty sitting still in a chair for extended periods of time may want to ask about dental sedation options which can help you relax, and in some cases forget the procedure even happened!

Once you are comfortable, the underlying jawbone is exposed by making a small incision in the gums. Next, a window is cut into your jawbone and the membrane is pushed upwards, allowing for space to place the grafting material. Once positioned, your gums are sewn shut and the procedure is complete. There are several different graft materials that may be used, but the most common are harvested from humans, animals (most often a cow), or the graft can be synthetic. Fortunately, all graft types have a high success rate (94%+). Though very unlikely, performing this procedure does include a small risk of the sinus membrane being pierced or ripping. If this does occur, the area will need to be stitched up and a follow-up procedure will be necessary.

Once the procedure is successfully completed, your periodontist will go over aftercare instructions with you to ensure you avoid complications. They will also answer any questions and schedule your follow-up appointment. It will take several months for the bone graft to regenerate enough bone, so you will have to continue scheduling appointments until your periodontist is certain you are ready for placement of the implant. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to speed this process up, however it is important to continue practicing good oral hygiene habits, such as brushing twice daily, flossing regularly, avoiding tobacco products as well as food and beverages high in sugar and/or starch. This is especially important if the reason the sinus lift procedure was necessary was due to advanced gum disease.

A sinus lift becomes relevant when the upper back jaw does not have enough vertical bone to support implants predictably. Patients often do not know they need one until imaging reveals how close the sinus floor sits to the planned implant site. In that sense, the procedure is less about creating treatment where none exists and more about preparing the site so implant placement can be done with better support.

Understanding that role can make the recommendation feel more logical. Rather than treating the lift as an unrelated extra step, patients can see it as part of building the foundation for long-term implant stability. The added planning is meant to improve predictability, not add complexity for its own sake.

Patients also tend to get better results when they bring specific questions to the consultation and understand how diagnosis, maintenance, and follow-up shape the outcome after treatment. Clear expectations do not replace clinical care, but they often help patients move into the right treatment plan sooner and with more confidence.

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