How Painful is a Sinus Lift?
Sinus lifts are among the more common procedures that dentists perform to prepare patients for dental implant placement. During a sinus lift, a dentist lifts the lower sinus membrane, called the Schneiderian membrane, to make room to place a bone graft in the upper jaw. Over time, this grafting material supports the generation of sufficient bone to secure a dental implant and protect the sinus cavity. While not every dental implant patient needs a sinus lift, the procedure is particularly beneficial for patients who are missing premolars or molars in the upper jaw, as the loss of these teeth is often accompanied by severe bone deterioration over time. One thing that may scare patients away from sinus lift procedures, and from other procedures related to dental implants, is the idea that these treatments are particularly painful, but this is not the case. Thanks to dental anesthetics, these procedures are relatively painless, and post-operative discomfort can usually be managed easily with traditional remedies like over-the-counter medication and topically applied ice packs.
What Options Do I Have to Make My Sinus Lift Painless?
Many sinus lift patients are satisfied with local anesthetic, administered to the surgical area with a needle injected into the oral tissues. Before injecting local anesthetic, dentists can use a topical solution to numb the area, so the worst patients feel is the minimal, brief pinch of the needle. Local anesthetic keeps the area numb for the duration of the procedure. If you know that you have anxiety about dental procedures, or if you’re particularly worried about this procedure, you can ask your dentist about options for dental sedation. Most dentists will recommend the least invasive form of dental sedation, which is usually delivered orally, as a pill, or through inhalation, as a gas. When the planned procedure is particularly invasive or expected to last unusually long, however, or when the patient has severe dental phobia, IV sedation may be used. When IV sedation is used, additional preparatory and aftercare procedures must be followed, like guaranteeing a ride home and a comfortable amount of recovery time.
What About Pain After a Sinus Lift?
It’s common for some discomfort to develop as anesthetic wears off, and dentists recommend that patients allow a day or two to comfortably recover from this initial discomfort. Swelling, bruising, and discomfort surrounding the surgical site are very common, though most patients report that these after effects can be managed simply and effectively, usually through a combination of basic pain medication and topically applied ice. Discomfort, swelling, and bruising should subside within the first week or two, though the surgical site remains vulnerable for about a month. This means that patients should take special care to avoid using a straw or smoking after a sinus lift, and patients should also exercise caution when sneezing or blowing their nose. Dentists recommend that patients sneeze only with their mouths open, and that they blow their noses gently if they need to at all. Cleaning the area gently yet thoroughly helps expedite the healing of the surgical site, and maintaining proper oral hygiene and balanced nutrition helps maintain the oral tissues and bone throughout the healing process. If you experience any pain that seems out of the ordinary following your sinus lift, or if you have a fever or excessive bleeding, contact your dentist right away.