A sinus augmentation is a procedure where bone is added to the upper jaw in the premolar and molar region to add bone support for the placement of dental implants. This can be due to circumstances in which the bone in the area where teeth are missing naturally begins to shrink over time, the roots of the teeth were originally positioned either very close to or within the sinus cavity, or the vertical height of bone is not sufficient enough to support a dental implant.
As a result of bone loss, the sinuses can expand to occupy the empty space where the roots and bone used to be. With insufficient bone to securely place a dental implant, a sinus augmentation is necessary to move the sinus away to create space for additional bone in the area. Many times, the implant can be placed at the same time. There are a few circumstances where the sinus augmentation needs to be prior to implant placement. This depends on the quantity and quality of bone available in that area. Contact us today for an evaluation in our state of the art facility to get a cat scan for dental implants where we can discuss whether a sinus augmentation is needed or not.
