Sinus Lifts

What Is It?

A sinus lift is surgery that increases the available bone in 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. To make room for the bone, the sinus membrane has to be moved upward, or "lifted."

Sinus Lift
What It's Used For


  • Sinus lifts have become common during the last 15 years as more people choose dental implants to replace missing teeth.

The bone used in a sinus lift may come from your own body (autogenous bone) or from an artificial source (usually bovine in origin).


You will need x-rays taken before your sinus lift so the implant surgeon can study the anatomy of your jaw and sinus. You also may need a special type of computed tomography (CT) scan. This scan will allow the Oxfordshire dental implant surgeon to accurately measure the height and width of your existing bone and to evaluate the health of your sinus.

How It's Done

Your surgeon will make a small incision in your gum where your back teeth used to be. The gum is raised, exposing the bone. A small, oval window is opened in the bone. The membrane lining the sinus on the other side of the window separates your sinus from your jaw. This membrane is gently pushed up and away from your jaw.

Granules of bone-graft material are then packed into the space where the sinus was. The amount of bone used will vary, but usually several millimetres of bone is added above the jaw.





You will see the implant surgeon after 7 to 10 days. He will evaluate the surgical site and possibly remove stitches.

You will need to wait several months for the bony material to integrate with your jaw.


The main risk of a sinus lift is that the sinus membrane could be punctured or torn. If the membrane is torn during the procedure, the surgeon will either stitch the sinus tear or place a patch over it. The implant surgeon may stop the procedure and give the hole time to heal.

