If you're missing upper back teeth, you might not have enough bone height to support a dental implant. The reason is often the sinus—a hollow space above your upper teeth. When teeth are lost, bone in that area shrinks, and the sinus can expand downward. A sinus lift is a procedure where we carefully lift the sinus membrane and add bone beneath it, creating the height needed to place an implant securely.
During the procedure, we make a small opening in the bone where the teeth are missing, then gently lift the sinus lining upward. We fill the space below with bone graft material and allow it to heal. Over several months, new bone forms, and you'll have enough support for a dental implant.
While a sinus lift adds time to your implant journey—healing typically takes 4-9 months before implant placement—it's often the key to replacing missing back teeth with implants when bone loss has occurred. Without it, implants in that area wouldn't be possible. After the bone heals, the implant placement process proceeds as normal.