Worried About Side Effects of Sinus Lift Surgery? Revealing the Standard Bone Graft Approach That Avoids Reoperation

Hello.

I am the director of Seoul Bardi Dental Clinic.

When consulting about implant treatment for upper molars,

there is one term that patients worry about the most.

That term is “sinus lift surgery.”

It sounds unfamiliar from the start,

and people often become frightened right away because of rumors like,

“Isn’t it said to cause sinusitis as a side effect?”

“Isn’t it extremely painful?”

Today, to ease those concerns a little,

I’ll explain everything about sinus lift surgery in an easy-to-understand way.

What is a sinus lift? Is it necessary? Worried About Side Effects of Sinus Lift Surgery? Revealing the Standard Bone Graft Approach That Avoids Reoperation

Between our upper molars and the cheekbone,

there is an empty air pocket called the “maxillary sinus.”

When the jawbone has resorbed and there is not enough space to place an implant,

the thin membrane of this maxillary sinus must be gently lifted,

and bone must be added into that space.

In simple terms, to build a sturdy pillar called an implant,

think of it as foundation work that reinforces the base more thickly.

Of course, since this is a high-difficulty surgery,

there are side effects that require caution as well.

• Maxillary sinus membrane perforation: a tear in the thin membrane

  (This requires precise technique!)

• Sinusitis: inflammation developing in the grafted area

• Swelling and pain: natural reactions depending on the surgical extent,

  but careful management is essential.

A patient case who came in due to a wobbly molar Worried About Side Effects of Sinus Lift Surgery? Revealing the Standard Bone Graft Approach That Avoids Reoperation

Recently, a patient visited us saying that the upper right molar hurt every time they chewed and felt loose.

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First, to check the overall condition,

a panoramic X-ray was taken.

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As you can see, the upper right molar (#16)

shows severe bone resorption at a glance.

However, the tooth behind it, #17, does not appear to have bone loss as severe as the front tooth, does it?

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To be frank,

this #17 tooth was also in far from good condition.

It looks fine on the surface,

so why do I say it was not good?

I’ll reveal the secret behind that reason shortly. ^^

What exactly is “bone resorption”?

First, to understand the case more deeply,

shall we take a moment to see what “bone resorption” means?

As people get older, they often say,

“My gums have receded.”

Normally, healthy jawbone should have sufficient height and volume.

But when periodontal disease occurs,

the jawbone becomes hollowed out vertically and horizontally,

and this is called “vertical alveolar bone resorption.”

This patient also had bone loss,

and the tooth had lost support and was wobbling.

Now, to uncover the secret of the #17 tooth I mentioned earlier,

let’s check the 3D CT images.

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When checked by CT, the back tooth (#17) also had this much bone loss.

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The bone had disappeared so much that it was on par with the front tooth.

On the panoramic image, it certainly looked okay,

but why does the bone loss appear so clearly on the CT?

The reason is that a panoramic image is a one-dimensional flat image,

so the shadows can overlap and appear as one.

On the other hand, a 3D CT is a three-dimensional image,

so the teeth can be viewed from the front, back, and sides,

allowing for a much more detailed and accurate diagnosis.

Sinus lift surgery, treatment process Worried About Side Effects of Sinus Lift Surgery? Revealing the Standard Bone Graft Approach That Avoids Reoperation

As a result of the detailed examination, unfortunately,

both teeth (#16 and #17) could not be saved from extraction.

But an even bigger problem was the space for placing implants.

Normally, for an implant to withstand chewing force,

a minimum of 7–8 mm of bone height is needed,

but the remaining bone thickness in this patient was only 2.9 mm.

Among the side effects of sinus surgery explained earlier,

the one that requires the most caution is

the tearing of the thin membrane called “sinus membrane perforation.”

Therefore, the key to this surgery is to safely create space

without damaging the thin membrane, like an eggshell inner membrane.

That is why the experience and know-how of the medical team performing the procedure are more important than anything else.

For this patient as well, we carefully lifted the membrane so it would not be injured,

and then grafted a sufficient amount of bone.^^

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“Why is there so much bone graft material?”

Some people look at the grafted amount and wonder if it is excessive,

but

this is a “compensatory graft” calculated in advance to account for the amount that will gradually be resorbed as the bone hardens.

Think of it as a process meant to finish strongly in one go,

without later side effects or reoperation.^^

Waiting to reduce side effects of sinus lift surgery Worried About Side Effects of Sinus Lift Surgery? Revealing the Standard Bone Graft Approach That Avoids Reoperation

After waiting about 3 months for the bone to harden,

we placed the implant fixture.

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Thanks to the bone settling in well,

it was fixed very stably.

Of course, there is another period of waiting here.

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I understand it can be difficult when you ask,

“When do we put on the crown (prosthesis)?,”

but rushing before the carefully grafted bone and implant have completely integrated

is like building a structure on cement that has not fully set.

240313 (Before) 241102 (After)

To take the safest and strongest path,

we waited 충분한 시간이 지나도록 충분히 waited

and finally completed the implant after 4 months!

241102

Are you still worried because of side effects from sinus lift surgery?

The most certain “condition” for successful bone grafting without reoperation is simply “who performs it.”

That is because it requires delicate skill to lift the paper-thin sinus membrane without tearing it,

as well as thorough infection control to block inflammation at its source.

The more difficult the case, the more important it is to meet experienced clinicians with abundant clinical experience.

So that your vague fear can be replaced with confidence,

we will provide careful treatment while following the principles.

Thank you for reading this long post today.^^

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Worried About Side Effects of Sinus Lift Surgery? Revealing the Standard Bone Graft Approach That Avoids Reoperation

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02-481-4278

| This post was written directly by Seoul Bardi Dental Clinic for the purpose of providing medical information in compliance with Article 56, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Advertising Act. The information provided is for reference only, and we recommend visiting a medical institution to receive guidance from medical professionals regarding symptom assessment and accurate management methods. All procedures / surgeries performed at the dental clinic carry possible risks depending on the individual (inflammation, bleeding, swelling, etc.). Please make your decision after sufficient consultation with medical professionals in advance. The treatment cases in this post were photographed with the consent of patients who completed treatment at our clinic, and the before-and-after photos were taken under the same conditions. |