What can I expect after a sinus lift?

Sinus Lift Surgery Recovery

What happens after a Sinus Lift?

Patients are able to go home after they wake from the anesthesia. After the sinus lift procedure, most patients experience a little swelling and bleeding, but only minimal discomfort. The most important part of recovery is to keep the bone graft in place, so it’s important to avoid blowing your nose (or sneezing, if possible) either of these things could cause the bone-graft material to move and loosen the stitches.

When you go home, you will likely get a saline spray to keep your nose moist, a prescription to prevent congestion and swelling, a prescription for pain medicine, an antibiotic, and/or an antimicrobial mouthwash to help prevent infection. Most patients will be in bed with ice around the area for a day or so until they can resume normal activities.

You will have a follow-up appointment with the dental specialist 7-10 days after your surgery. During this appointment, the specialist will examine the surgical site and may remove any stitches that have not dissolved on their own. In some cases, patients are asked to return a few more times just to make sure the area is healing properly and to take necessary x-ray images.

A full recovery from a sinus lift takes a minimum of 6 months for the sinuses to heal and the bone to be strong enough to support dental implants. Although the process may seem slow, you are working towards results that will last a lifetime.

Read more about : Dental implant surgery

When should you call a professional after a Sinus Lift?

After a sinus lift, you should contact your surgeon if:

. Swelling or pain increases over time. (It should decrease after the first couple of days.)

. The bleeding continues after 1-2 days.

. Bleeding is bright red and continuous. (Normal bleeding after a sinus lift should be slow and dark red, potentially with clots.)

. You think the bone-graft material might have been dislodged after sneezing or blowing your nose.

. You develop a fever.

Getting a sinus lift can be daunting, but there’s no need to fear. Talk to your dental specialist about any questions or concerns you might have and they can give you any additional info you might need.