A tear in the sinus lining
The most common problem during surgery. A small tear is usually repaired on the spot with a membrane; a larger one may mean trying again after healing.
Bone height for upper implants
Sinus Lift Surgery in Dubai
When the upper back jaw is too shallow for an implant, the sinus floor can be raised and the space filled with graft material. Your CBCT scan decides whether you need it, and which approach.
- CBCT 3D planning
- Crestal and lateral approaches
- Operating rooms with sedation options
The first visit is an examination and CBCT review. You receive a written plan, including any option that avoids grafting, before anything is booked.
Planned on a 3D scanWhether you need a lift, and which kind, is decided from your CBCT.
Quick answer
What is a sinus lift?
A sinus lift (sinus floor augmentation) adds bone height in the upper back jaw so an implant can be placed where the maxillary sinus has left too little bone. The sinus lining is gently raised and graft material placed beneath it, either through the implant site (crestal approach) or through a small window in the side of the jaw (lateral approach). At Creative Arts in Dubai, the need and the approach are decided from a CBCT 3D scan.
27 yearsIn-house dental laboratory in the same building
Written planItemised treatment plan before you commit
Open daily10:00–20:00, seven days a week
Jumeirah 3614 Jumeira St, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai
At a glance
Sinus lift surgery in brief
- What it does
- Adds bone height under the sinus floor so upper premolar and molar implants have enough bone
- Approaches
- Crestal (through the implant site) or lateral (through a small window in the side of the jaw), chosen from your CBCT
- Anaesthesia
- Local anaesthesia; sedation or general anaesthesia can be discussed after a medical-history review
- Implant timing
- Often in the same surgery when the remaining bone can hold the implant steady; otherwise placed after the graft has healed
- Healing time
- Typically about four to nine months before the implant is placed or loaded, depending on the approach and the amount of graft
- Key precaution
- Sneeze with your mouth open; no nose-blowing, flying or diving until your surgeon says it is safe
- Who treats you
- Dr. Firas Osman, Dr. Khalid Saeed or Dr. Kinan Bonni
- Where
- Creative Arts operating rooms, 614 Jumeira St, Jumeirah 3, Dubai
Typical ranges. Your scan, your health and whether you smoke change them; your surgeon gives you a timeline for your case.
Why it is needed
Why does the upper back jaw run out of bone for implants?
The roots of the upper premolars and molars sit just below the maxillary sinus, an air space inside the cheekbone. When those teeth are lost, the ridge shrinks from below and the sinus floor tends to drop into the space the roots occupied. Years after an extraction, a ridge that looks healthy may have only a few millimetres of bone under the sinus. Bone here is also softer than in the lower jaw, so an implant needs enough height to be held firmly while it integrates.
A flat X-ray cannot show this reliably. A CBCT 3D scan measures bone height and width, the sinus lining, any bony walls (septa) inside the sinus and signs of inflammation. If the sinus itself looks unhealthy, that is treated first. For when grafting is genuinely needed, read our guide to bone grafting and sinus lifts.
Two approaches
Crestal vs lateral sinus lift: what is the difference?
Both raise the sinus lining and add bone beneath it. They differ in how the sinus floor is reached and how much height they can add.
| Crestal (internal) lift | Lateral window lift | |
|---|---|---|
| Access | Through the opening prepared for the implant, from the top of the ridge | Through a small window in the side wall of the sinus, under a gum flap |
| Typical use | A modest gain in height where a reasonable amount of bone remains | A larger gain where the bone under the sinus is thin |
| Graft material | A small amount, and in some cases none | Graft packed under the raised lining, usually covered with a membrane |
| Implant timing | Usually placed in the same surgery | Same surgery if the remaining bone holds the implant steady; otherwise months later |
| Swelling and bruising | Usually similar to a routine implant | Usually more, settling over one to two weeks |
| Comfort options | Local anaesthesia is often enough | Local anaesthesia; sedation is often discussed because the surgery takes longer |
General patterns. The anatomy of your sinus, the remaining bone and the number of teeth replaced decide the approach.
Do you need one?
Who needs a sinus lift, and when can it be avoided?
A sinus lift is chosen when the scan shows it is needed, not added to every upper implant.
A sinus lift is usually considered when
- An upper premolar or molar is missing and the CBCT shows too little bone height for a stable implant
- Upper back teeth were lost years ago and the sinus has dropped into the gap
- A full upper arch is planned with implants further back than the bone allows
- An upper back implant failed and the site has to be rebuilt
It may not be needed, or should wait, when
- A shorter implant fits the bone that is there, as measured on the scan
- Implants can be angled to avoid the sinus, the principle behind All-on-4 for a full upper arch
- Only the last molar is missing and the bite works without it: leaving the gap can be reasonable
- There is untreated sinus infection or disease, which is treated first
- Bone loss is severe across the upper jaw: zygomatic implants may be considered, assessed by Dr. Firas Osman
The process
How a sinus lift is planned and carried out
The stages are the same whichever approach is used; the waiting time in the middle is what changes.
Examination & CBCT
Medical history, gum health and a scan of the bone and sinus. Options, including any that avoid grafting, go into a written, itemised plan.
Visit 1Digital planning
Implant positions are planned on the scan and the approach chosen. Sedation, if wanted, is agreed after a medical-history review.
Before surgeryThe lift
Under local anaesthesia the lining is raised and graft placed beneath it, with the implant in the same sitting where the bone allows.
SurgeryHealing & review
Sinus precautions protect the graft; stitches are checked at one to two weeks. Over the following months the graft is replaced by your own bone.
Weeks to monthsImplant & crown
A scan confirms the bone. The implant is placed if it was staged, and the crown is made in Creative Art Dental Lab, in the same building.
After healing
Honest risks
What can go wrong with a sinus lift, and how is it handled?
Most sinus lifts heal without problems. These are the complications worth understanding first.
Congestion or sinus infection
Some stuffiness and a little blood from the nose are common at first. Building pain, fever or foul-smelling discharge needs a review.
Graft that does not mature fully
Smoking, infection or pressure on the site can cost part of the graft. The scan before implant placement checks the bone that formed.
Higher-risk patients
Smoking, uncontrolled diabetes and chronic sinus problems raise the risk, so they are managed before surgery where possible.
The precautions that protect a sinus graft
For the first one to two weeks, or as long as your surgeon advises: do not blow your nose, sneeze with your mouth open, avoid straws and smoking, and do not fly, dive or lift heavy weights until cleared. Visiting Dubai for treatment? Plan your return flight before booking surgery. The bone graft and sinus lift recovery guide covers healing day by day.
Cost
What changes the cost of a sinus lift?
A sinus lift is priced as part of the whole implant plan. The dental implant cost guide explains the implant side.
- ApproachA crestal lift during implant placement is a smaller procedure than a lateral window lift.
- Graft and membraneThe amount and type of material depend on the height to be gained.
- One stage or two, one side or bothA staged case adds a surgical appointment; some full-arch plans need both sides lifted.
- Sedation or anaesthesiaIf chosen, it is shown as its own line in the plan.
Who treats you
Who performs sinus lifts at Creative Arts
Dr. Firas Osman, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon & Implantologist, assesses and performs sinus lift surgery. Dr. Khalid Saeed and Dr. Kinan Bonni plan and place implants and may carry out routine graft work alongside them. See all our oral and maxillofacial surgery services.
Patient questions
Frequently asked questions
How painful is sinus lift surgery?
The surgery is done under local anaesthesia, so the area is numb, and sedation can be added if you are anxious or the procedure is long. Afterwards most people have swelling, pressure in the cheek and sometimes bruising, usually managed with over-the-counter pain relief. A lateral lift tends to cause more swelling than a crestal lift.
How long after a sinus lift can I get a dental implant?
With a crestal lift the implant usually goes in during the same surgery. With a lateral lift it is placed at the same time if the remaining bone holds it steady; otherwise the graft heals for several months first. The implant then needs time to integrate before the final crown.
Is a sinus lift the same as sinus surgery for sinusitis?
No. A sinus lift does not treat the sinus. It lifts the lining away from the sinus floor and adds bone underneath, inside the jaw. Sinus inflammation is looked for on the CBCT beforehand and, if present, treated first, sometimes by an ENT doctor.
Can short or angled implants avoid a sinus lift?
Sometimes. If the scan shows enough bone for a shorter implant, or implants can be tilted to avoid the sinus as in a full-arch plan, a lift may not be needed. Ask to see the measurements on your CBCT and whether a no-graft option exists for you.
Can I have a sinus lift if I have allergies or sinus problems?
Often yes, once the sinus is healthy. Seasonal congestion is usually controlled before surgery so you are less likely to sneeze or blow your nose while healing. Chronic sinusitis, polyps or blocked sinus drainage need treatment and clearance first.
Can I fly home soon after a sinus lift in Dubai?
Cabin pressure changes can disturb a healing sinus lining, so flying is usually avoided until your surgeon clears you, often at least the first one to two weeks. If you are travelling for treatment, agree the surgery date and your return flight together at the planning stage.
Keep exploring
Related treatments
RecoveryBone graft and sinus lift recoveryDay-by-day healing, graft granules, sinus precautions and warning signs.Bone graftingRidge augmentationRebuilding a jaw ridge that has become too narrow or low for implants.GuideTypes of dental bone graftOwn bone, donor, bovine and synthetic materials, and membranes.ImplantsDental implants in DubaiFrom a single tooth to a full arch, planned on a 3D scan.GuideBone grafting and sinus lifts: when they are neededSocket preservation, ridge augmentation and sinus lift compared.FacilitiesOur operating roomsLocal anaesthesia to general anaesthesia, and how the option is chosen.
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- Address614 Jumeira St, Jumeirah 3, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai
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- Phone+971 4 342 4444 · WhatsApp +971 56 677 7537
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