Sinus Lift

Last updated: November 6, 2026·Reviewed by Soo Jin Kim, DDS

A sinus lift adds bone to the upper back jaw so that dental implants can replace missing premolars and molars where the bone has become too thin to hold them. The maxillary sinus is an air space that sits just above the roots of the upper back teeth, and after those teeth are lost it often expands downward while the jawbone beneath it shrinks. The procedure, also called sinus augmentation or maxillary sinus floor elevation, lifts the thin lining of the sinus floor and places bone graft material in the space beneath it. Implants then go into the added height, either during the same surgery or after the graft has matured into bone. Sinus lifts are part of our implant dentistry at ConfiDental in Carlstadt, and we take a cone-beam CT scan in the office when a case needs one.

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Dr. Lee, our board-certified periodontist, does sinus lifts at our Carlstadt office.

Sung Min Lee, DDS

Overview

The upper back jaw is one of the most difficult places to fit an implant. The bone there tends to be softer, and once the back teeth are gone the ridge that held them resorbs while the floor of the sinus moves down into the space, a change called pneumatization. The bone left between the mouth and the sinus can end up only a few millimeters tall, too short for an implant of standard length. A sinus lift rebuilds that height from above, inside the sinus, leaving the gum side of the ridge as it is.

Two approaches are in common use. In the lateral-window approach, the gum is opened on the cheek side, a small window is cut in the outer wall of the sinus, the lining is lifted away from the bone like a trap door, and graft material fills the space underneath. In the crestal approach, also called the osteotome or transalveolar technique, the sinus floor is tapped upward through the prepared implant site in the ridge itself; it involves a smaller opening and generally raises the floor by a smaller amount. The choice depends mainly on how much bone remains: with roughly 5 mm or more a crestal approach is often suggested, and with less a lateral window is generally used.

The graft can be the person's own bone (autogenous bone), donor bone from a tissue bank (allograft), processed animal bone, most often bovine (xenograft), or a synthetic material such as calcium phosphate (alloplast), alone or combined. When the existing bone can hold an implant steady, the implant may be placed during the same surgery as the lift. When too little bone remains, the graft heals first, commonly for about 4 to 12 months, and the implants are placed in a second procedure.

A sinus lift is a dental bone-grafting procedure and is not the same as balloon sinuplasty, an operation for chronic sinusitis that widens blocked sinus drainage openings. A sinus lift does not treat sinus disease; it adds bone beneath the sinus floor to support implants, and existing sinus problems are generally treated before it. Bone grafting elsewhere in the jaw, such as rebuilding a narrow ridge or filling a socket after an extraction, is a separate procedure.

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When It's Recommended

Missing upper premolars or molars where the bone below the sinus is too short to hold an implant of standard length
Downward expansion of the maxillary sinus (pneumatization) after the upper back teeth are lost
Bone loss in the upper back jaw from gum disease, long-standing tooth loss, or extraction
Planned implant-supported crowns, bridges, or dentures that need implants in the upper back jaw

What are the risks of Sinus Lift?

When to Avoid

Radiation therapy that included the upper jaw
Ongoing chemotherapy
Antiresorptive medication given for cancer involving the bone
Sinus or nasal disease that cannot be corrected, such as chronic sinusitis linked to cystic fibrosis or Kartagener syndrome, granulomatous disease such as sarcoidosis or granulomatosis with polyangiitis, or permanent scarring of the sinus lining
Tumors involving the maxillary sinus or nasal cavity that disrupt normal sinus function

Possible risks

Swelling, bruising, and pain of the cheek and gum in the first days after surgery
Bleeding from the surgical site or the nose, including bleeding from an artery in the sinus wall
Perforation (tearing) of the sinus lining (Schneiderian membrane), the most common complication during surgery
Sinusitis (inflammation or infection of the sinus) after surgery
Blockage of the sinus drainage opening
Infection of the graft, which may require antibiotics or removal of graft material
Opening of the gum incision during healing
Loss or partial loss of the graft, leaving less bone than planned
Failure of the implant to integrate with the bone, with a higher risk reported after membrane perforation
Pain, nerve injury, or difficulty walking at the donor site when the patient's own bone is harvested from elsewhere in the body, such as the hip

Who needs extra care

Acute sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, nasal polyps, or a blocked sinus drainage pathway is treated first, with medication or endoscopic sinus surgery, before the lift goes ahead
Untreated gum disease, or infection at the root tip of a tooth near the sinus, is treated before the sinus floor is elevated
Smoking is reviewed during planning, because implants placed in augmented sinuses in people who smoke show a higher failure rate in pooled studies, and smoking is associated with more membrane tears, sinusitis, and opening of the incision
Poorly controlled diabetes, immunosuppression, and antiresorptive or blood-thinning medication call for a risk-benefit review before surgery and can change its timing or plan
Bony walls inside the sinus (septa), a very thin or markedly thickened sinus lining, a large artery in the sinus wall, or bone height under about 3.5 mm raise the risk of complications and can change the approach or favor a staged procedure
A history of chronic sinusitis, or a lift that needs a large volume of graft, is associated with a higher risk of sinusitis afterward

What to Expect During Treatment

A consultation reviews your dental and medical history, your medications, smoking, and any history of sinus problems
A cone-beam CT scan measures the bone below the sinus and maps the sinus, and the approach and the timing of implant placement are planned from it
Any sinus infection, gum disease, or infected tooth near the sinus is treated first
On the day of surgery, local anesthetic numbs the area, and some people also have sedation
In a lateral-window lift, the gum is opened on the cheek side, a small window is made in the outer wall of the sinus, the lining is lifted, and graft material is packed beneath it; the window may then be covered with a membrane
In a crestal lift, the implant site is prepared from the top of the ridge, the sinus floor is tapped upward with instruments called osteotomes, graft material may be added, and the implant is often placed at the same time
The gum is closed with stitches, and you go home with instructions to protect the sinus while it heals
Follow-up visits check healing of the gum and the graft
When implants were not placed during the lift, they are placed in a separate procedure once the graft has matured, often 4 to 12 months later

How does Sinus Lift work?

A sinus lift creates bone where the sinus has taken its place. The floor of the maxillary sinus is covered by a thin lining called the Schneiderian membrane. Lifting that lining off the bone without tearing it opens a space between the lining and the sinus floor, and that space is filled with graft material.

The graft works as a scaffold. Blood vessels and bone-forming cells grow in from the surrounding sinus walls, and new bone forms through and around the graft over the following months. Materials behave differently: the person's own bone carries living bone-forming cells, while processed bovine bone resorbs slowly and helps hold the space open over the long term.
Imaging, usually a cone-beam CT scan, measures the remaining bone height and shows the shape of the sinus, any internal bony walls (septa), the thickness of the lining, and the blood vessels in the sinus wall. Those measurements guide the choice between the lateral-window and crestal approaches and whether the implant can go in at the same time.
An implant can be placed during the lift when the existing bone holds it steady while the graft heals around it. When the bone is too short for that, the graft heals first and the implant is placed into the new bone months later. Either way, the implant then needs its own healing time to bond with the bone before a crown, bridge, or denture is attached.

Recovery & Aftercare

Swelling usually peaks over the first 2 to 3 days, and some oozing of blood from the site is common for a day or two
For at least a week, you are usually asked to avoid blowing your nose, to sneeze with your mouth open, and to avoid drinking through a straw, because pressure changes in the sinus can disturb the graft
Air travel and strenuous exercise are commonly put off for about 2 weeks
Soft foods are typical for the first few days, and hard or crunchy foods are usually avoided for about 5 days
Smoking slows healing and is associated with more complications after a sinus lift
When implants were not placed during the lift, the graft matures over about 4 to 12 months before they go in
If you notice swelling that worsens after the first few days, fever, pus or a foul taste from the site, repeated nosebleeds, sinus pain and congestion, or air passing between your mouth and nose, contact the dental office that performed the lift promptly

Alternative Treatments

Short implants, about 5 to 8.5 mm long, where 4 to 9 mm of bone height remains
Tilted implants angled along the front wall of the sinus, as used in some full-arch (All-on-X) plans
Zygomatic implants anchored in the cheekbone when bone loss is severe
A conventional fixed bridge supported by crowns on the neighboring teeth
A removable partial denture or a complete denture

What the Research Says

A sinus lift raises the floor of the maxillary sinus and fills the space beneath it with bone graft material, adding bone height for implants in the upper back jaw[1]
A systematic review of 48 studies and 12,020 implants estimated that 90.1% of implants placed with a sinus lift were still in place after 3 years[2]
A companion review estimated 92.8% implant survival at 3 years with the crestal (transalveolar) approach, comparable to implants in sites that needed no augmentation[3]
With about 5 mm or more of remaining bone height a crestal approach is often suggested, while less bone generally calls for the lateral-window approach[5]
When implants are not placed during the lift, the graft commonly heals for about 4 to 12 months before they are placed[1]

About Our Clinicians

Sung Min Lee

DDS

Does the sinus lift and places the implants that go into the added bone.

Board-certified periodontist specializing in gum disease treatment and dental implant surgery

Full profile

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a sinus lift?

A sinus lift adds bone to the upper back jaw so implants can be placed where the bone has become too thin. The lining of the maxillary sinus is gently lifted, and bone graft material is placed in the space beneath it. Once the graft has matured, or sometimes during the same surgery, implants go into the added height to replace missing back teeth.

Does a sinus lift hurt?

Local anesthetic numbs the area, so during the procedure you typically feel pressure, and with the crestal approach some light tapping, rather than pain. Some people also have sedation. Afterward, swelling and soreness of the cheek and gum are common for a few days, usually peaking around the second or third day, and are generally managed with over-the-counter or prescribed pain relief.

Is a sinus lift safe?

A sinus lift is a well-established way to add bone for implants in the upper back jaw, and systematic reviews describe implant placement with sinus floor elevation as a predictable treatment. Planning from a 3D scan and treating any sinus or gum problems first help lower the chance of complications. Specific risks are listed in the risks section.

How long after a sinus lift can implants be placed?

When implants are not placed during the lift, the graft usually needs about 4 to 12 months to mature into bone before they go in, and the implants then need their own healing time before the final teeth are attached. When enough bone remains to hold an implant steady, it can be placed in the same surgery as the lift, which shortens the overall course.

What happens during a sinus lift?

After the area is numbed, the steps depend on the approach. In a lateral-window lift, a small opening is made in the side wall of the sinus through the gum, the lining is lifted, and graft material is packed beneath it. In a crestal lift, the sinus floor is tapped upward through the implant site, often with the implant placed in the same visit. The gum is closed with stitches, and most people go home the same day.

Who is not a candidate for a sinus lift?

A sinus lift is generally not performed in people who have had radiation therapy that included the upper jaw, who are receiving chemotherapy, or who take antiresorptive medication for cancer involving the bone. Sinus or nasal disease that cannot be corrected, such as chronic sinusitis linked to cystic fibrosis, granulomatous disease, or a tumor involving the sinus, also rules it out.

Is a sinus lift the same as balloon sinuplasty?

No. Balloon sinuplasty is an operation for chronic sinusitis that widens blocked sinus drainage openings with a small balloon. A sinus lift leaves those openings alone and adds bone beneath the floor of the maxillary sinus so dental implants can be placed in the upper back jaw. Sinus problems are generally treated before a sinus lift, and the lift itself does not treat sinusitis.

Sources & References

This article draws from 12 peer-reviewed sources.

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