What do you do when you want to place an implant restoration in the maxillary posterior area and there is no alveolar bone remaining to place it into? The bone in the maxillary sinus has dissolved leaving a thin ridge of cortical bone to hold the space in the maxillary sinus.
To place an implant in the maxillary sinus requires bone, but first, let’s look into why the bone in the maxillary sinus has dissolved.
Pneumatization
Pneumatization of the maxillary sinus means the space in the sinus is enlarging and the bone is dissolving. This happens continuously as we age. The bone thins out in the sinus creating more space. If we extract teeth in the maxillary posterior area the bone seems to dissolve faster.
If we look at the maxillary sinus, we will see roots up in the space. Usually it is the maxillary lingual roots of the first and second molars that sticks up into the maxillary sinus space. Then as we age the roots seems to extend more into the sinus....