The upper back jaw is implantology’s trickiest neighborhood: bone there is softer, and the maxillary sinus (an air space) expands downward after tooth loss, often leaving only a few millimeters of bone. The sinus lift solves this by building new bone between sinus floor and jaw. Seoul Top Dental Hospital in Seocho explains how.
Why the sinus steals your bone
After an upper molar is lost, two forces work against future implants: the jawbone resorbs downward while the sinus pneumatizes, meaning it expands into the space below. Years later, CT often shows 2-5 mm of bone where an implant needs 8-10. The sinus lift gently raises the sinus membrane and fills the created space with graft material that matures into implant-ready bone.
Two techniques, chosen by the deficit
When moderate height remains, the crestal (internal) approach lifts the membrane through the implant drill hole itself, often placing the implant at the same time and adding little to surgery time. When bone is severely short, the lateral window approach opens a small side access for a larger, direct elevation, usually healing 4-6 months before implants follow. The CT measurement selects the route.
Recovery and the rules that protect it
Expect cheek swelling and possibly minor nose bleeding for a few days. The protective rules are specific: no nose blowing, sneeze with the mouth open, no straws, and no diving or flying against medical advice in the first weeks, because pressure changes stress a healing membrane. Success rates are high and well documented when protocols are respected, and the graft quietly matures into bone over months.
Seoul Top Dental Hospital performs both sinus lift techniques with CT planning in a hospital-grade sterile theater, sequencing visits for international patients. If you were told your upper jaw “has no bone for implants,” a sinus lift evaluation is usually the missing second opinion.