Victoria sinus lift surgery, height where the sinus sits low
Upper back molars sit directly below the sinus. Once those teeth are gone the sinus tends to expand downward and the ridge shrinks upward, leaving too little bone between them for a post. Sinus lift surgery restores that height.
A sinus lift through the socket, or through the side
Where only a few millimetres are needed, a sinus lift raises the floor gently through the implant channel itself and graft material placed underneath. It is contained, the recovery is mild, and the post often goes in at the same appointment. This internal approach suits the majority of modest cases.
Where much more height is needed, a small access opening is made in the side of the jaw, the sinus membrane lifted and a larger volume of graft placed. That is a bigger procedure with a longer wait, and it is a Dental Bone Graft in the fullest sense.
Before either, we check whether the height can be avoided altogether by angling posts forward, the approach behind All-on-4 Implants, or by using a shorter implant where the bite allows, which is assessed on CBCT Imaging.
Sinus case
How it works
A sinus lift, carried out in four stages
Measure the height
The scan gives the millimetres of bone between ridge and sinus floor. That number chooses internal against lateral.
Lift and graft
The membrane is raised carefully and graft placed beneath it. Local anaesthetic, with sedation if you prefer.
Six to nine months
Longer than most grafts because of the volume involved. Avoid nose blowing and flying early on, as we will explain.
Rescan and place
A second scan confirms the new height before the post goes in, unless it was placed at the same time as an internal lift.
Recovery
After a sinus lift a blocked feeling is normal
Expect some congestion on the sinus lift side, occasional light bleeding from the nose and swelling for several days. Sneeze with your mouth open, avoid blowing your nose hard, and skip flying and diving in the early weeks. Those instructions matter more here than after an ordinary extraction, because the membrane needs to stay intact.
A small tear in the membrane during surgery is the most common complication and is usually repaired at the time. A larger tear can mean stopping and returning to it once the site has healed. What can go wrong more broadly is set out on Implant Risks, and the general aftercare on Recovery And Aftercare. Where a lift is not realistic, shorter or angled posts placed forward of the sinus are the usual alternative, and All-on-4 Implants uses exactly that approach.
Internal or lateralApproach
6 to 9 monthsHealing
Nose blowingAvoid
Related treatments
Other Victoria ways to find bone without a sinus lift
Width instead of height, prevention at extraction, or avoiding the lift entirely.
Discomfort, flying, timing and whether it can be avoided.
The name is worse than the experience for most people. It is done under local anaesthetic, sedation is available, and the internal approach in particular is a contained procedure. The lateral approach is more involved, with more swelling for several days.
Not in the early weeks. Pressure changes are the concern while the membrane heals and the graft settles. If you have travel booked, tell us at planning and we will schedule around it rather than have you cancel or take the risk.
It should not. The sinus lining is lifted rather than cut, and the membrane is left intact. Temporary congestion on that side is common for a week or two. Persistent problems are uncommon and should be reported rather than waited out.
With the internal approach, often yes, when enough bone remains to hold the post steady. With a lateral lift, usually no; the graft needs to mature first. The scan tells us which situation you are in before the appointment is booked.
Sometimes. Angling posts forward to reach bone in front of the sinus, or using shorter implants where the bite allows, can both sidestep a lift. We look at those first, because avoiding a procedure is better than performing one well.
Victoria patients
What Victoria sinus lift patients say
★★★★★4.9· 118 reviews on Google
★★★★★
Upper molar with almost nothing under the sinus. Bigger procedure than the others but the post went in solidly.
N. Abadi
Lateral lift, Victoria
★★★★★
Done through the implant channel and the post went in the same day. Far less than I had feared.
T. Bergman
Internal lift, Langford
★★★★★
I had a flight booked. They moved the surgery rather than telling me to risk it.
A. Yusuf
Rescheduled for travel, Colwood
★★★★★
They angled the posts instead and I skipped the sinus surgery entirely.
M. Delacroix
Avoided a lift, Saanich
From the blog
Victoria implant guides: grafting, healing time and cost
A CBCT scan gives the exact height between ridge and sinus floor, which decides whether you need a lift, which approach, or whether angled posts avoid it. You see the images and get the plan in writing.
