When it comes to dental implants, you may only think of using them for replacing teeth that are visibly missing from your smile. But dental implants can be used to replace all of your teeth, upper and lower and from front to back. That includes your molars and premolars. For your implants to be successful, you need to have a sufficient amount of bone tissue to support them. If you are considering implants for your upper teeth, our dentists may suggest a sinus lift. This treatment will augment the jawbone surrounding the maxillary sinuses to provide a solid base for your implant. These sinuses are located above your upper jawbone on both sides of your nose, and they can deteriorate or resorb following tooth loss or an extraction.

During your visit for a sinus lift, we gently lift the sinus membrane away from the jaw. We then add a bone graft from another part of your body or from a tissue bank, or we may use other grafting material. After the procedure, you will need anywhere from four to nine months for the graft to heal and integrate with the existing tissue. Once our dentists and team determine that the healing process is complete, dental implant placement can begin.

If you are considering dental implants for your upper molars, call our office to schedule an examination and consultation with our dentists.