Bone graft and sinus lift in Antalya, Turkey

Why the jawbone shrinks

The bone around a tooth is there to hold its root. When a tooth is removed, that bone is no longer loaded and starts to shrink, fastest in the first months. In the upper back jaw the sinus above the teeth can also expand downwards. After some years there may not be enough height or width left for an implant. Gum disease, infections and long-term denture wearing add to the loss.

How the 3D scan measures your bone

A 3D cone-beam CT scan shows the jaw in three dimensions. Your dentist measures the height and width of the bone where each implant will go, its density, and the position of the sinus and of the nerve in the lower jaw. From these measurements it is decided whether you need a graft, which type, and whether it can be done in the same session as the implant. A panoramic X-ray alone is not enough for this decision.

Graft materials

• Your own bone: taken from a nearby area of the jaw. It heals reliably but means a second surgical site.
• Processed donor bone: human bone that has been cleaned and sterilised by a tissue bank.
• Animal-derived bone: purified bone mineral, usually of bovine origin, that keeps its volume well while new bone grows into it.
• Synthetic materials: bone-like minerals made in the laboratory.

Materials are often combined and covered with a membrane that protects the graft while it heals. Your plan states which material is used for you; tell us if you prefer not to receive animal-derived material.

Types of procedure

Open and closed sinus lift

In a closed sinus lift the sinus floor is gently pushed up through the hole prepared for the implant, graft material is added and the implant is placed in the same session. In an open sinus lift a small window is made in the side wall of the upper jaw, the sinus membrane is lifted and the space below it is filled with graft material. It is used when much more height is needed.

Same session or staged

If the implant can be held firmly in the existing bone, the graft is placed around it in the same session. If not, the graft heals first and the implant is placed months later. Staging takes longer but gives a more predictable result in larger defects.

Healing times and number of trips

Small grafts placed with an implant usually heal within the normal implant healing time of 3–6 months. Larger grafts typically need 4–9 months, and an open sinus lift 6–9 months. The time is set by your dentist from the scan and is checked with a control X-ray.

• Graft with the implant: two trips, as for implants. The first trip is 3–5 days, or 4–6 days with a sinus lift; the second is 5–7 days for the final teeth.
• Staged graft: usually three trips: graft, implant placement after healing, then the final teeth.

Alternatives to grafting

• All-on-4 with angled implants: when all teeth in a jaw are missing or failing, the back implants are tilted to use the denser bone at the front, which often avoids a sinus lift.
• Shorter implants: in some areas a shorter implant fits the existing bone height without a graft.
• A bridge or a denture: no surgery on the bone, but a bridge needs the neighbouring teeth to be prepared, and a denture does not stop further bone loss.

Your dentist tells you on the scan whether a simpler option is possible for you.

What affects the cost

The cost depends on the type and size of the graft, the amount of material and membrane needed, whether a sinus lift is open or closed, and whether the treatment is done in one session or staged. Your written plan lists each step. See our prices for what is included.

Risks and disadvantages

• Sinus membrane perforation: the thin sinus lining can tear during a sinus lift. Small tears are usually repaired during surgery; larger ones may mean the graft is postponed.
• Infection of the graft or sinus, treated with medication and, rarely, removal of the graft.
• Graft failure: part of the graft may not turn into bone, so less bone is gained than planned and the procedure may need repeating.
• Swelling and bruising for several days, longer than after an implant alone.
• More time, more trips and a higher cost than implant treatment without a graft.

Smoking and poorly controlled diabetes increase these risks; we ask you to stop smoking at least a week before and after surgery.

Aftercare

• Expect swelling and discomfort for 3–5 days; use cold packs on the first day and the painkillers and medication you are given.
• Eat soft, lukewarm food and do not chew on the grafted area.
• Do not smoke and avoid alcohol in the first days.
• After a sinus lift, do not blow your nose for the first 1–2 weeks or as your dentist advises, sneeze with your mouth open, do not drink through a straw, and avoid diving, swimming underwater and heavy lifting.
• Contact us if you have bleeding from the nose that does not stop, fever, increasing swelling or graft particles coming from the nose.