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Terrified of bone graft and sinus lift on Monday

K

Kistome

Junior member
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Messages
3
I am having a implant done soon, but for now they need to do a bone graft and sinus lift prior to the implant. I am having that procedure done this coming Monday. I am scared to death. I don't really know why, but worried I suppose, that I will end up with sinus trouble, not being able to breathe out of my nose etc.

I am scared that there will be pain afterwards that I won't be able to handle....which I have had some serious pain with broken bones before and handled that okay I guess. I don't know, I guess I just don't know what to expect during, after etc. So....if you have had a bone graft and sinus lift done (together) I would like to hear from you, good or bad. Also, would like to hear from any dentists, oral surgeons etc. on how complicated this surgery is, how long in the chair, complications etc??

thanks! ~~K :hidesbehindsofa:
 
You say you are scared to death... so maybe some form of sedation might help you? You could call where you are going and ask if they offer nitrous or if they would get you a precription for valium or something related.:cloud9:

You might want to post your questions in the 'dentistry questions answerd' page;)
 
Sinus Lift Problems

I had a sinus lift, bone grafting, and two implants on upper left side. Was given a steriod dose pak and antibiotics (amoxicillin) to take. I was in lots of pain afterwards, but it was healing pain and I was going to be patient that I'd have a full recovery. I slowly got better. I didn't take any pain pills. On the following Mon. 2/4/08 I went in for my check up feeling much better and the oral surgeon said it looked great. By Monday afternoon I started getting extreme sinus pain and by Wed I had to go back in to see him. He said I had an infection and gave me a different antibiotic (azithromycin) and said to take sudafed. I felt I was getting better. Now it's the weekend and the sinus pain is back.. it's a deep ache and radiates into my nose. Don't think the infection is back because my gums aren't sore or swollen. Not sure what to think or what to do at this point. I realize he did a lot of work, but is it a dental implant problem or sinus surgery problem? And, does it get better? How do you ever reverse what he did? I am scared and in lots of pain. I will see my dentist tomorrow.
If anyone can give me some information that would give me hope.
 
Are they going to do the "REAL DEAL IMPLANT " or the Mini Implants..
From what Ive read the MINI IMPLANTS are less invasive and the healing is alot quicker than regular implants. Plus they are alot smaller. They are the size of a tooth pick..

They take a tiny drill and drill up to your bone and screw the screw in and then they place the cap over it like a root.. Its an all in one day procedure..
You can even eat afterwards on your new teeth unlike the other implants..
" From what I have read now" :thumbsup:
 
Kistome, of course it's frightening when you're going to have something done to you that you haven't had before - it always is that same old thing, fear of the unknown. Just try and be positive and remember that everyone is an individual and reacts differently to the same procedure so if someone has had a bad experience and had pain and problems it doesnt mean at all that it will go the same for you.
I must admit that once I have my xrays ready for implants if I were told that I needed bone grafts I would think seriously about whether to go ahead or not, but that's me.
Has the dentist explained the whole procedure to you properly so you know exactly how it's all going to be done. That might make it easier for you to handle. If he hasn't I would be inclined to ask him to explain, in writing possibly, step by step what he will be doing. Also, I would think that if you can get valium beforehand, that might make you a bit calmer before whatever numbing or sedation you might be having.
Today's Wednesday, so really, less than a week to go and it will all be over with. We shall all be thinking of you, wishing you well and sending positive vibes your way.:grouphug:
 
I had my sinus lift bone graft surgery 10 days ago and am doing fine. Fortunately they were able to place the implant at the same time. I understand your fear since I'm a fearful person too. The surgery itself was nothing since I chose to be asleep.

After 2-3 days of swelling it has been no worse than what you would experience from a couple of typical cuts. My 1 week check-up showed the site healing well. The stitches have finally disolved. They felt kind of strange when in. The surgical sites are tender and sore but nothing to be afraid of. Trust me, I wouldn't say that if it weren't true for me. I know that false assurances DO NOT alleviate my fears, so I wouldn't give them to others.

I did a lot of research before having this done and it seems by 2008 this has become a very common and safe procedure. I'd recommend taking advantage of the wonderful opportunity to have lost teeth returned to us. :grouphug:

Good Luck,

Pam
 
If your considering getting a lateral sinus lift (opposed to an inferior sinus lift, or the procedure that you receive the same time as implants) well i can tell you my story.

It's day four for me after this procedure. The pain and discomfort has been pretty rough. I'm not saying that will be the case for you, but this has been reality for me. The thing is a sinus lift may be 'very routine' (as every dentist will pitch it) but it is still a very invasive procedure. Essentially, they're cutting a hole into the side of your face and messing with a cavity that is only a very thin bone away from your brain. They can say whatever they like, but those are the facts.

It took about 90 minutes for the procedure to be done. About three hours later is when the pain began...after 12 hours (and for the first two days) it was terrible.

Nose bleeds - I also started having nose bleeds about 5 hours after the procedure. These went on (about every hour) for the next 8-10 hours or so. I was getting concerned about this at about midnight (wondering if they'd stop) fortunately at about one a.m. they did.

Pain - Plenty! I made the mistake of not demanding some sort of codeine based pain reliever (percocet or vicoden or whatever). I was using 800mg of ibuprofen and of course taking antibiotics and sudafed. This was not enough. My advice: make sure you get some type of semi-hardcore pain reliever from your dentist. This IS surgery, so demand it if you must. I'm certain my suffering would have been much less had i had something stronger for the pain. As it was, well, i've slept maybe three/four hours a night because of pain since the procedure.

Swelling - It's four days later and I still have a lot of swelling. My cheek's still bloated and very sensitive to the touch. Also my speech and ability to eat anything besides ice cream, crackers and soup is nil. I can't open my mouth wide or chew vigorously. It hurts to do both. The swelling is getting better, but unlike a lot of the info I read it did not start subsiding until today (day 4). So, I still look slightly freakish and that I've shoved a lemon into my cheek (as opposed to an orange two days ago).

All in all, I still don't regret doing this, but I think it's important to consider that a lateral sinus lift is not such a small thing. I'd mark off a week of your calendar for it anyway. Also, I think dentists may try to tell you that it's not such a big deal (again saying, "oh, it's very routine") but the fact is they're using a scalpel, messing with, then implanting material into an area that is very sensitive. I chose to have this done, and hopefully it works because i'd like to get implanted molars, but the pain and discomfort after surgery (so far and in my case) has been substantial.
 
Hi HAD A SINUS LIFT ON BOTH FRONT SIDES SIMULTANEOUSLY , 2 AND A HALF HOUR PROCEDURE,TWO IMPLANTS INSERTED AT REAR AND TWO TEETH REMOVED REAR ,ALL WENT WELL AT THE OPERATION ITSELF ,,FELT A BIT QUEESY FOR 3-4 DAYS BUT NO INTENSE PAIN ,A LITTLE BIT OF BLEEDING NOTHING SERIOUS .THE AREA WHERE THE IMPLANTS WERE PUT IN WAS A BIT GROSSE WHEN THE BLOOD CONGEALES . STILL HAVE THE STITCHES IN MOUTH GO SEE DENTIST IN A WEEK FOR THEM TO BE REMOVED AND HOPEFULLY HE CAN DRILL AND PUT IN THE OTHER TWO REAR IMPLANTS .
AS FOR THE FRONT ITS GONNA BE LONGER TO SEE IF THE BONE GRAFTS NORMALLY .
I REALLY RECOMMEND TO GET OVER YOUR FEAR ITS REALLY NOT THAT BAD OR PAINFUL Absolutly no reason to be terrified .if my graft fails i wouldnt hesitate to retry it thats how little discomfort there is .just hope the bone grafts so i can have teeth put in .
o by the way enquire where the bone is coming from for the graft .it could be from a corpse lol:)
 
Years ago sinus lifts were seldom done now they are done frequently. It is still an invasive procedure. The surgical techniques have improved and also the pharmacologic management.
In my office sinus lifts are done under IV sedation with few exceptions. I obtain a detailed "sinus" history. If a patient has had a history of sinus problems then the surgery is deferred until sinus health is obtained via assitance with an ENT. The patient is premedicated with antibiotics, Iv sedation, IV steroids,and blood drawn to concentrate platlets to speed healing. After surgery Bupivacain is injected to give several hours of post-op pain relief. Patients are given a prescription for oxycodone with the amount dependent on a patient's history. Post-op antibiotics and ice pack. I see the patient every week or more often if the patient wants to see me. patients are the most swollen the mourning of the second day after surgery and may have bruising on that surgical side(s). Most patients take pain meds for 48 hours then perhaps a couple of more days at bedtime.
Biggest risks
1. Sinus membrane perforation- Manageable
2. Infection- May need to loss of graft

There are two basic types of sinus lifts.
1. Internal where the dentist lifts the sinus from inside the hole that he drill for the implant.
2. Lateral window graft where a hole is made above the roots on the side of the back teeth then very very gently the sinus membrane is peeled away from the sinus floor and bone is placed.

Mini Implants are not an option is you need a sinus lift. Mini implants are used when the bone is too thin for a more standard sized implant. Lateral bone grafting is rather easy and predictable for an experienced dentists so most mini implants are done by inexperienced dentists and on patients who don't want bone grafting.
 
Are these sinus lifts mandatory or optional?

I'm not getting that done but I am having bone grafting done and I do have sinus problems. Just wondering if my sinus problems are because of my perio and hoping that'll improve once my teeth are removed.
 
Are these sinus lifts mandatory or optional?

I'm not getting that done but I am having bone grafting done and I do have sinus problems. Just wondering if my sinus problems are because of my perio and hoping that'll improve once my teeth are removed.
Yes it is possible.
About two years ago a dentist set me a patient that had a badly infected sinus related to a failed implant. the dentist had removed the failed implant and the patient's sinus completely cleared. Later I was able to graft bone into her sinus and widen her ridge that allowed me to place implants without problems.
If you get your dental disease under control and still have sinus issues see your ENT. If you still have sinus problems then I would recommend against most sinus grafting.
 
Hi there,
on 27th March I had a sinus lift, three bone grafts and seven implants. I could really have benefitted from some IV sedation, but was given nothing. The day prior to this I went to my Gp and asked for some Valium, which he gave me. 30mgs to be precise ! I took 2 in the car before I got there and two more when I got to the clinic. I was in the Dentists chair for four and a half hours and I don't think I would have coped without the Valium. The next day I looked like I had an orange in the side of my mouth and my chin was black and blue on each side of my mouth. For me it was a very painful procedure despite lots of local anaesthetic. The pain was unbelievable ! Tomorrow I am having my stitches out and can't wait so that I will finally get some pain relief. I actually watched a sinus lift being done on you tube and had I watched before I had it done I would probably cancelled the whole thing. I am just glad that the worst part is over now.all the best to those of you that are having any of these procedures done.
 
Wow.... sorry to hear about all that.

I had the same thing done but in small steps. I had 5 teeth removed on my top and bone grafting done. This was about 8 weeks ago. I'm due to go in for implants on the top in a week or two. Haven't gotten the call to come in yet.

I also had bone grafting done on one side of my bottom jaw and an implant put in on the other side.

I was on Oral Sedation for everything. But a far cry from pain. Very little swelling. I only took an occasional Advil.

I certainly hope they didn't do the implants at the same time as the bone grafting!? Hardly seems right.

I also had dissolvable stitches.
 
Hello!
I thought I would chyme in on this thread, (although it is pretty old) of my personal experience.

Today is Sunday which is day 3 since my surgery on Thursday. I had what seems to me,the works done!
I had the following procedures done on my upper left side: three extractions, bone expansion, sinus lift, bone graphing, socket graphing (whatever that is) and two implants implanted.

My fear before the surgery was normal, more of a "fear of the unknown" kind of fear and also the fear of the pain after the surgery.:hmm::scared:

I have to say, when I got home the only "pain" I had was from the gauze in my mouth and having to bite down to stop the bleeding, etc. Other than that, there has been no pain whatsoever!!
I have though, swelled up pretty good which I would take any day over pain. Today, day 3 it seems my swelling is going down a bit, but I'm still not ready to return to work just yet unless i want everyone to stare and ask questions. No thanks!

Everyone's experiences are different and I just wanted to share mine because I am thankful it turned out well because I was very nervous and scared to go through with it all. I have another surgery scheduled on my right side in about a month or so, more graphing and two implants (not as extensive as the 1st) and from this experience I have a better outlook going in for the second one.
Its all worth it!!! :jump: Hope this helps anyone who is going through the same. Be positive!
 
Hi :welcome: to the forum.

Thank you for taking the time to tell us of your experience, I am very pleased for you that it has been such a positive experience and that you are healing well. I would like to wish you Good luck :clover::clover::clover: and best wishes for your next appointment. Do let us know how you get on please :butterfly:
 
I am getting 8 implants combined with bridges in my upper jaw. My teeth (except for 2) were extracted last Friday and the date for my first sinus lift on the one side is early April 2014 and the second one in March.
I live in France and I have no idea what to expect. The language barrier doesn't exactly help and I am glad I found this forum.
I have a question. At the moment I am wearing dentures with brackets around my 2 remaining side teeth. What is going to happen after the sinus lift? Am I going home without any teeth in my mouth? How am I supposed to manage? Or do I get some kind of provisional teeth? Maybe someone could enlighten me - thanks!
 
denture flange(side) will need adjustment as a minimum
 
When will this be done and by whom? My surgeon does only implants.
The denture was fitted by my ordinary dentist.
I am just petrified that I get sent home without any teeth!
:rolleyes:
 
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