The difference between open and closed sinus lift
Many people who have lost one or more teeth in the upper jaw; especially the back teeth or molars do not have enough bone to plant the implant base in, because due to the anatomy and ossification of their jaws, the back part of the upper jaw has less bone than the lower jaw. A sinus lift is performed when there is not enough bone height in the upper jaw or the sinuses are too close to the jaw, so the implant cannot be done.
What is a sinus lift?
An additional procedure is usually required before implant placement for upper jaw teeth. If it’s been a long time since you’ve lost a tooth, the sinuses usually go down. In this case, there will not be enough space for implant placement. In this way, they direct the floor of the sinus upwards.
Placing dental implants in the usual way
If you ever lose a tooth, replace it with an implant immediately. In this case, the height and density of the jaw bone is sufficient. In this case, the dental implant is implanted through its standard method. In general, the appropriate height for implant placement is between 9 and 12 mm. In this case, there is no need for a sinus lift operation.
Types of sinus lift
Sinus lift operation is usually performed in two types, closed and open. Which method is chosen for a person depends on the amount of jawbone degeneration. Here we take a look at these two sinus lift models.
Closed sinus lift
The closed sinus lift technique is performed if the initial volume of the jaw bone is 3 to 4 mm. This method causes less damage to the mouth. Because a special cut is not made on the gum. In this case, the upper jaw bone is drilled to the floor of the sinus by modern technology. Then, the sinus is pushed up by a series of special tools and drills to create a suitable space for implant placement.
In the next step, the empty space is filled with bone powder. Now the implant is implanted in this area. In this bruising method, swelling is not observed in the surgical area. The recovery period of this method is much less than other methods. In this case, there is a high probability of tearing the sinus floor. Therefore, this work should be done by an experienced specialist.
Open sinus lift and dental implant placement at the same time
This treatment is performed when there is at least 5 mm of the vertical bone of the upper jaw. In addition, there should be enough bone width in the area between the sinus floor and the edge of the remaining bone. The gingival implantologist gains lateral access to the sinus just above the remaining alveolar bone. Then the sinus membrane pushes upwards. Now a mixture of various bone powders is placed in the space that was previously occupied by the sinus. A protective membrane that can be absorbed by the body is then placed over the sinus access area at the surgical site. Finally, the implant is immediately placed in the area.
Open sinus lift and delayed dental implant placement
This treatment is prescribed when less than 5 mm of bone remains between the edge of the bone and the floor of the sinus. In this case, the density and height of the jaw bone in this area are not suitable for placing the implant at the same time as the sinus lift surgery or shortly after. Therefore, after accessing the sinus as in the above method and placing the bone graft material, the surgical area is closed. After 6-10 months after correcting the bone density of the jaw, the implants are placed in the desired location.
