Sinus augmentation.
Make room for upper back implants
The essentials
In short
A sinus lift raises the floor of the maxillary sinus and places bone graft beneath it, creating the vertical height needed for an implant in the upper back jaw. It is required when the sinus has expanded downward after tooth loss, leaving too little bone between the ridge and the sinus cavity. Smaller lifts can be done through the implant channel at the time of placement; larger ones are a separate procedure with several months of healing first.
When this is needed
Upper back teeth sit directly beneath the maxillary sinus. Lose them, and two things happen at once: the ridge resorbs from below, and the sinus expands from above. The remaining bone between the two can be as little as one to four millimeters. Nowhere near enough for an implant.
A sinus lift creates that height by gently elevating the membrane lining the sinus floor and filling the space underneath with graft material, which matures into bone.
The two approaches
Crestal (closed) lift. Where five to eight millimeters of bone already exists, the sinus floor can be raised a few millimeters through the same osteotomy drilled for the implant, with graft placed through that channel. Less invasive, and frequently combined with implant placement in one appointment.
Lateral window (open) lift. Where bone height is minimal, a small window is opened in the side wall of the upper jaw, the sinus membrane elevated under direct vision, and a larger volume of graft placed. This gains significantly more height and is normally a standalone procedure, with the implant placed after several months of healing.
Which one applies to you is decided from three-dimensional imaging, not from a two-dimensional X-ray.
Recovery
Expect facial swelling that peaks around day two or three, some bruising, and mild nasal congestion or spotting of blood from the nose. Ice for the first day, then warmth. Sleep with your head elevated.
The restrictions are specific and they matter:
- Do not blow your nose for at least two weeks
- Sneeze with your mouth open
- No straws, no smoking, no scuba diving or flying if avoidable
- No heavy lifting, straining or vigorous exercise
- Take prescribed antibiotics and any decongestant as directed
Every one of those is about pressure. A pressure spike across a healing sinus floor is what displaces graft material.
Then the implant
Healing is typically four to nine months for a lateral window lift, confirmed by imaging before placement. Dr. Patel’s advanced implantology training at Texas Implant Institute covers this staged sequencing, and he will show you the imaging at each decision point rather than asking you to take it on trust.
What affects the cost
The approach used, the volume of graft material, whether a membrane repair is needed, and whether the lift is combined with implant placement. Sinus augmentation is frequently excluded by dental plans as implant-related, though some medical plans consider it in specific circumstances. We will pursue a written pre-determination.
Talk it through first
Nothing here replaces an examination. If you are weighing this up, the useful next step is a conversation. Bring your questions, bring what you have been told elsewhere, and ask what the alternatives cost over ten years rather than this month.
Oak Hills Dentistry is on Louetta Road in Spring, Texas, and also sees patients from The Woodlands and north Houston. Request an appointment or call 281-350-8852.
Written for patients of Oak Hills Dentistry in Spring, Texas. General dental education, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan for any individual. Updated August 2026. This page covers a higher-risk treatment area and is queued for clinical sign-off by Dr. Neal H. Patel before launch.
The practice
Where the work happens.
FAQ
Know before you visit.
Answers to your most common questions.
The maxillary sinus is an air space above your upper back teeth. When those teeth are lost, the bone below the sinus resorbs and the sinus itself pneumatizes, expanding downward into the space. What is left between ridge and sinus can be only a few millimeters, which is not enough to anchor an implant.
A closed or crestal lift raises the sinus floor a small amount through the same channel drilled for the implant, and is often done at the time of placement. An open or lateral-window lift accesses the sinus through the side of the jaw, allows a much larger gain in height, and is usually a separate procedure with several months of healing before the implant.
It should not. The sinus membrane is lifted, not opened, and normal sinus function continues. Congestion and minor nasal discharge for a week or two afterwards are common and expected.
Small perforations are not unusual and are usually repaired during the procedure with a collagen patch. A large tear may mean stopping and returning after the membrane has healed. This is a known, manageable event rather than a disaster, and it is one reason imaging beforehand matters.
No nose-blowing, no straws, no smoking, and no heavy lifting or straining for at least two weeks. Sneeze with your mouth open. Pressure differences across a healing sinus floor are the main thing that displaces the graft.
Sometimes. Shorter implants, implants angled to avoid the sinus, or zygomatic implants placed by a specialist can all avoid the lift in the right case. A bridge or partial denture avoids surgery altogether. Dr. Patel will discuss whether your anatomy permits any of those.
Start your smile journey.
Tell us how to reach you and we will call to talk through sinus lift, no commitment.