Is A Sinus Lift Covered By Medical Insurance?

A sinus lift costs from $1,500 to $2,500 per side on average, so if you need both sides lifted, you could pay up to $5,000. Because it’s a dental procedure, it’s unlikely to be covered by ordinary health insurance.

If antibiotics are required prior to surgery, the surgeon will prescribe them. You may require prescription-strength pain medicine as well as an antihistamine during your recovery. All of these expenses were not included in the initial quote.

Finally, you should have no trouble having your dental implants within a few months to a year. These are expected to cost up to $3,000 each.

How much should a sinus lift Cost?

A sinus lift can cost anything from $1,500 for a minor and uncomplicated lift to $5,000 for more complex cases. The cost of the surgery normally rises as more bone graft material is required. When it comes to major surgery, you want to make sure you’re working with a thorough and qualified physician.

Risks of a Sinus Augmentation Procedure

Because a sinus lift is a surgical operation, there are some risks involved. The piercing or tearing of the membrane is the main danger of this operation. If this occurs, the damage can be corrected and the surgery can proceed. In the case of a greater rip, the membrane may need to be allowed to heal before the lift can be performed again later.

A sinus infection is the greater danger. Your surgeon will prescribe medication to prevent this, and you should avoid sneezing or blowing your nose too hard to avoid dislodging your stitches or displacing the bone graft material. As a result, obtaining a sinus augmentation during allergy season is not recommended.

Is a sinus lift medically necessary?

Teeth loss causes jawbone damage as a natural side effect. As a result, when the upper molars are extracted, a sinus lift may be required – especially if a bone graft was not performed concurrently with the extraction. While a sinus lift is not necessary for everyone, it may be recommended if you have:

You should be free of any oral infection or gum disease that could jeopardize your health and results before undergoing surgery.

Can a general dentist do a sinus lift?

Sinus lift surgery is a procedure that your dentist may suggest if you want dental implants but don’t have enough jaw bone to attach them.

This operation is also known as sinus augmentation or sinus transplant. This operation can be performed by a variety of medical specialists, including periodontists and oral surgeons.

A dental professional can do sinus lift surgery using a variety of approaches. Continue reading to learn more about these methods and how they can help you keep your dental implants secure.

How painful is a sinus lift?

Many people worry whether or not a sinus lift is uncomfortable. In general, a sinus augmentation or sinus lift is uncomfortable rather than painful. A patient is unlikely to experience any pain during the treatment, but thereafter, he or she should expect some little discomfort for a brief time. Although your face may be puffy and bleeding may occur, your dentist will most likely prescribe pain medicine and antibiotics to help.

Does a sinus lift change facial appearance?

Yes, a sinus lift can improve your facial appearance by repairing bone that has been lost in the upper jaw, reversing the sunken, prematurely-aged aspect associated with tooth loss.

What are the risks of a sinus lift?

Tearing of the Schneiderian membrane, antral or nasal penetration, bleeding, damage or injury to adjacent teeth, fracture, fenestration, dehiscence or perforation of alveolar bone, insufficient primary stability, improper position or angulation of the fixture, obstruction of the OMC, and swallowing of instruments are all known intraoperative complications of maxillary sinus graft. Schneiderian membrane ripping is most commonly caused by preexisting perforation, an existing or past pathologic state, tearing during lateral window scoring, or elevation from bone walls7. The most common complication of maxillary sinus transplant is the rupture of the Schneiderian membrane, which is reported to occur in 10% to 34% of patients. Because cigarette smoke thins the maxillary sinus membrane, the incidence rate is higher in smokers than in nonsmokers.

The survival percentage of implants has been reported to be 97.14 percent if the perforation of the maxillary sinus membrane is less than 5 mm, which is not significantly different from the survival rate of regular implants. However, because the survival probability drops to 91.89 percent in cases of perforations between 5 and 10 mm and to 74.14 percent in cases bigger than 10 mm, extra caution should be exercised during surgery to avoid breaking the membrane8. Furthermore, as it has been observed that when the maxillary sinus membrane is perforated, simultaneous implant insertion results in a 90.81 percent survival rate, a staged approach should be considered9.

We previously used the Loma Linda pouch procedure to treat major punches. A broad membrane is put into the maxillary sinus to create a pouch, and the bone graft material is implanted in the pouch. However, because there have been reports of the membrane preventing osteocytes from migrating from the periosteum, resulting in bone graft failures, it is no longer often employed.

Following that, we’ll go into bleeding-related factors and bleeding-control measures. The infraorbital artery and the posterior superior alveolar artery form an extraosseous and intraosseous anastomosis in the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus. In terms of the intraosseous branch, it has been stated that straight-type branches account for 75% of all cases, while U-shaped branches account for 25%. Based on the aforesaid information, it is possible to anticipate the paths of blood vessels if only a portion of the intraosseous branch is visible on CBCT. The distance between the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) of the posterior maxilla and the vessel varies from a minimum of 15.2 mm to a maximum of 34.6 mm in the case of the intraosseous branch, with an average of 21.1 to 26.9 mm. Furthermore, the distance between the inferior border of the maxillary sinus and the vessel varies between 2.5 and 19.4 mm, with an average of 9.4 to 10.3 mm. This indicates that if a small window is produced and positioned as low as feasible, the intraosseous branch is less likely to be encountered. A variety of sinus lateral approach kits (e.g., SLA kit and DASK) have recently been developed and are extremely useful surgical instruments.

If there is a lot of bleeding during surgery, different procedures are utilized to stop it. The initial step in treating bleeding is to elevate the patient’s head and apply pressure. In most situations, bleeding can be managed with gauze packing alone when there is no pulse rhythm in the intra-osseous branch. If pushing alone isn’t enough to stop the bleeding, a bone rongeur or hemostat can be used to crush the bone at the bleeding spot. If one is accessible, an electrocoagulator or laser can be used to control bleeding.10 If these devices are not accessible, a high-speed handpiece with a diamond bur can be inserted and applied to the bleeding spot without irrigation to control bleeding. Alternatively, an alcohol light can be used to heat a periosteal elevator or other surgical equipment and apply them to the bleeding spot. Commercial hemostatics like Surgicel (Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ, USA) or bone wax may be useful.

Can a sinus lift cause sinus problems?

While the majority of sinus lift surgeries are successful, they do have the potential to fail in some circumstances. Sinus lift problems that can lead to failure, albeit they are uncommon, include:

  • Because the grafted area lacks a blood supply, existing bone and bone transplant material are unable to combine.

Does a sinus lift affect your breathing?

If a dental implant is not completely surrounded by healthy bone, it will not heal properly, and the thin bone of the sinus cavity frequently cannot sustain a dental implant. To address this issue and successfully employ a dental implant to replace an upper molar, the bottom section of the sinus may need to be lifted or augmented. A sinus lift is a surgery that can help you replace a missing tooth if you don’t have one.

While some sinus lift patients report a temporary stuffy nose following surgery, the majority report no change, and some even claim an improvement in breathing ability. You shouldn’t expect your sinuses to get worse or your breathing to get worse following your surgery.

Your voice, allergies, or breathing will not be affected by a sinus lift. You will restore a robust and healthy grin if you make it feasible to replace your upper molars.

Can a sinus lift and implant be done at the same time?

Sinus Lift and Simultaneous Implants A simultaneous implant and sinus lift may be possible if you have mild to moderate bone loss under your sinus canals. After the sinus cavity’s floor is elevated, bone particles are inserted beneath it, and the implants are placed simultaneously.

What happens if you sneeze after a sinus lift?

When you blow your nose, the pressure in your nostrils rises, allowing air, debris, and mucus to escape. When nasal pressure rises, sinus pressure rises as well. Due to the location of the bone transplant immediately below the sinus cavity, a rise in sinus pressure can cause the bone graft material to shift, causing the treatment to fail. Sneezing while holding your nose can induce the same rise in pressure, which is why sneezing with your mouth open is recommended.

Although blowing your nose and sneezing while holding your nose are two of the most popular methods to boost sinus pressure, there are a number of other actions that should be avoided. Scuba diving, flying in an airplane, carrying large objects, blowing up balloons, and playing musical instruments that need blowing are examples of these activities. While it is normally advised to refrain from such activities for the first 4-6 weeks following surgery, your implant dentist will let you know when you have healed sufficiently to resume them without jeopardizing your recovery.