Sinus Grafting for Dental Implants

Dental implants are fast becoming the standard for replacement of missing teeth. Widely utilized in the U.S. since the early 1980s, this "new" modality of dental treatment has been claimed to be the most revolutionary form of dental treatment in modern years. It simply makes any other form of tooth replacement obsolete!

Removable dentures are uncomfortable, potentially embarrasing, and most importantly, they cause continuous jaw bone deterioration. Fixed "bridges," are the most common way to fix missing teeth. They rely on artificial teeth being glued to two or more adjacent teeth. However, for this to happen, the teeth need to be "prepared," many times compromising the integrity and health of these teeth.

Dental implants rely on a very simple principle of "bone-anchored" restoration. A titanium medical device is surgically placed into the remaining jaw bone, and a replacement tooth or other form of teeth are attached to these devices. Simple yet very effective way. Many times the replacement can be immaculate to the point that the new teeth are indistinguishable from the original!!!

For a successful dental implant replacement to happen, there needs to be the following winning formula:

1. abundant quantity of bone
2. abundant quality of bone
3. expert team of dental clinicians (implant surgeon and restorative dentist)

The most challenging area in the human mouth for the amount of bone is the upper back areas. As teeth are lost to gum disease and/or trauma, the amount of jaw bone deteriorate and diminish. Age adds to this process, as the maxillary sinus (large air space immediately above the upper back teeth) tends to enlarge at the expense of bone in the surrounding area.

Building bone volume to accomodate dental implants in the upper back areas has been clinical challenges. Maxillary sinus augmentation (or "sinus lift" procedures) have been used widely since the early 1980s in this country. Although very predictable, the procedure is quite involved and traumatic. There has been a surge in the interest of "internal," "crestal," or "osteotome" techniques that may afford less trauma to this technique. However, many of these techniques have not been fool proof with varying clinical outcomes.

Dr. Jin Kim, a dual board-certified implant surgeon, and faculty member at UCLA School of Dentistry, had been an integral part of the development of "MISE" - it stands for "Minimally Invasive Sinus Evevation" - technique. The technique, originally developed in south Korea, had been mastered in the US by Dr. Kim and his collaborators. He had been performing this technique since early 2008, and had presented his clinical data at prestigious dental meetings including the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI - August 2008), American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID - November 208) and the Academy of Osseointegration (AO - February 2009). The latest data presented suggest 94 successful consecutive cases with all but one surgical complication.

Utilizing specially designed medical devices, the procedure allows "lifting" of the Schneiderian membrane, which outlines the sinus cavity and surgically introduce bone graft and dental implant at the same time. Many of these procedures are undertaken under local anesthesia, in a single office visit.

For further information on this new less invasive dental implant technique, and other innovations by Dr. Jin Kim, please call his practice offices at Diamond Bar, California (909-860-9222) or at Garden Grove, California (714-898-8757).

More information can be found at:
www.sinusgraft.com
www.periotouch.com