Everything You Need To Know About Complications During Sinus Lift

Replacing a lost tooth isn’t always a simple process. Sometimes due to significant bone loss, one has to go through a sinus augmentation for a proper dental implant.

If you are thinking of having a dental implant, you should know that sinus lift surgeries have been around for a long time, and the success rate is almost 100%. There are a few sinus lift complications symptoms to look out for, but in most cases, completely safe. A sinus lift surgery is certainly a step towards having your dream smile.

This one surgery guarantees you a smooth dental implant even after you have had considerable bone loss. The surgery is said to be low risk with fewer complications. With that said, you must know the possible sinus lift side effects that may occur during or after the procedure.

First, what is a sinus lift surgery? Here, we will discuss what a sinus surgery is and later discuss sinus lifting complications that may occur.

What Is a Sinus Lift Surgery?

A sinus lift or a sinus augmentation is a dental procedure that allows patients to have dental implants despite having severe bone loss. It involves adding bone tissue where your molars and premolars are supposed to be. For this to happen, your sinus membrane will be lifted, thus, the term ‘sinus lift.’

The bone tissue will be added between the jaw and the maxillary sinuses. The maxillary sinuses are located below the eyes and above the teeth, and it is also the largest sinus.

That is basically what happens when you have sinus lift surgery. You rarely will experience sinus lifting complications, but it is still wise for you to know the possible sinus lift complications symptoms that you can expect.

Possible Sinus Lift Complications

As mentioned before, sinus augmentation surgeries are mostly successful, but like in every other type of surgery, there is a small chance of complications you should know about.

Below are some of the symptoms you may experience if you have a sinus lift complication.

• Dislodging of the added bone graft – this may occur after you blow your nose or sneeze after the surgery is done. If possible, it is important to avoid blowing your nose or sneezing after the procedure for a couple of weeks. You will probably get a saline spray from your doctor, which will help keep your nose moist. You will also get a prescription medicine to avoid nose congestion and swelling. The important thing is to keep the bone graft in place, and so if you blow your nose or sneeze, the bone graft might dislodge, causing the stitches to loosen up.
• Tearing or puncturing of the sinus membrane during the procedure – is a sinus lift complication that may occur during the surgery. Sometimes the tears are minimal. Therefore, it can be repaired during the surgery. In some cases, the tear will be bigger, forcing the procedure to be stopped and wait until the membrane is fully healed.
• Sinus infection – this is one of the more severe sinus lift side effects that may occur after the surgery. Like many surgeries, a sinus lift surgery may result in infection but is usually treatable with antibiotics.

Though very rare, a sinus infection may happen due to the materials that were used during the surgery. It may also happen due to poor after-surgery care. So, you must follow all the doctor’s instructions after you leave the hospital. To avoid this, ensure that your surgery is done by an experienced dental specialist like us. Other than that, your doctor will prescribe medicine for you that will help you avoid a sinus infection.

• Discoloration under the eyes – this is one of the sinus lift complications symptoms that your eyes may display after the surgery. Not to worry though, it is not as dangerous, and your doctor will be able to fix it. The discoloration is caused by a collection of blood from damaged blood vessels during the surgery.
• Purulent exudate or wound drainage – this is also a sinus lift complication that you may experience. It may be displayed as pus, but this too is not as dangerous. Using antibiotics will help ease these sinus lift side effects.
• Most patients will experience a little swelling, bleeding, and only a little discomfort. This is one of the minor sinus lift side effects that are expected after the surgery. This should not worry you, as it always clears up in a few days. Besides, your doctor will prescribe something that will ease the swelling and discomfort after the surgery.
• Implant failure – sometimes, an implant may fail to connect to the added bone graft, although it is very rare.

When Should You Call Your Dentist

Sometimes, you may not be able to put a finger on the symptoms, and if what you are experiencing is among the serious complications, you must be keen on each symptom you have. If you experience any of the listed symptoms, be sure to contact professionals such as Gables Sedation for a quick consultation.

These are just a few of the symptoms that you may experience after a sinus lift. If you notice anything that you are convinced is far from normal, you shouldn’t ignore it. Call your dentist, and explain what you feel.

Sometimes, if the sinus lift surgery fails, the doctor may advise you to wait for the tissues to heal until they can repair the damage caused.

How to Reduce the Chances of a Complication

Sinus lifts are low-risk procedures. We recommend always going for the experts to handle the dental implant and the sinus lift because they have the most experience.

If you or anyone else you care about or know needs to have a sinus lift surgery, get more information about it from experts like us. The dental experts at Gables Sedation will help with the information you need about sinus lift surgery in detail.

An expert approach towards this kind of surgery will take away your fears and also help you to avoid after-surgery complications. Otherwise, you need to follow all of the after-surgery care instructions that your doctor gave to you. Also, be sure to keep your mouth clean and avoid taking any food, drink, or habit that may irritate your throat or sinuses.

If you know anyone that needs a sinus lift or is experiencing any of the symptoms we covered, share this article with them!