Sinus lift for dental implants: what it is and what it costs

A sinus lift gently raises the floor of the sinus so there’s enough bone height to hold an implant in the upper back jaw. At Toothi in Edgware we carry out the internal (crestal) sinus lift for a fixed £595, and only when your CBCT scan shows it’s needed. Many upper implants need no lift at all. If you need a bigger lift than that, we’ll tell you and refer you on.

Your maxillary sinuses are air spaces that sit just above the roots of your upper back teeth. When a back tooth has been missing for a while, the bone underneath tends to shrink and the sinus can drop lower, leaving too little height to place an implant safely. A sinus lift lifts the thin lining of the sinus floor by a few millimetres and supports the space with bone graft material, creating room for the implant.

There are two broad approaches. The internal (crestal) lift works through the same small opening prepared for the implant, from below. The lateral-window lift opens a small window in the side of the jaw to make a much bigger lift. Which one suits you depends on how much bone is missing. Where width rather than height is the problem, a different graft is used; see bone grafts for dental implants.

Toothi carries out the internal (crestal) sinus lift only. We don’t do lateral-window sinus lifts here. If your scan shows you need one, we’ll explain why and refer you on to a colleague who provides it.

• ✓  Internal lift, as part of your implant appointment. The lift is carried out through the site prepared for the implant, so there’s no separate cut on the side of the jaw.
• ✓  Only when the CBCT says so. We decide from your 3D scan. If there’s enough bone, you won’t be charged for a lift.
• ✓  Planned digitally. Bone height, sinus shape and implant position are planned on the scan before the day of surgery.
• ✓  Clear about limits. If the bone is too thin for an internal lift, we’ll tell you and refer you on rather than stretch the technique.

At Toothi an internal sinus lift is a fixed £595, added to the implant fee only if your scan shows it’s needed. The single implant fee of £1,995 already includes the implant, abutment, porcelain crown and all reviews.

Prices are fixed and taken from our fees page.

For the full breakdown of what a molar implant involves, see our molar implant cost guide and dental implant cost in the UK.

Expect some tenderness and mild swelling for a few days, much like a standard implant. The difference is that the sinus needs protecting while it settles, so we ask you to avoid pressure changes in the nose for a short period.

• ✓  Don’t blow your nose hard for the period we advise. Dab it instead.
• ✓  Sneeze with your mouth open to avoid pressure building in the sinus.
• ✓  Avoid straws, smoking and heavy exercise in the first days.
• ✓  Ask us before flying or diving soon after surgery.
• ✓  Follow the written aftercare sheet we give you, and call us if anything worries you. See our implant aftercare guide and do dental implants hurt?

Like any surgery, a sinus lift carries risks, and we go through them with you before you consent. The main one is a small tear in the sinus lining, which may mean the lift is paused or the plan changes. Others include infection, sinus congestion, bleeding and, rarely, the graft or implant not integrating.

To keep those risks as low as we reasonably can, we plan on a 3D scan, only use the internal lift where the bone allows, and refer larger cases on. We can’t guarantee an outcome, but we’ll explain what’s likely in your case.

Want to find out whether you need one? Start with a free implant consultation at our dental implants page in Edgware.