If I do not have enough bone, what can be done?

Bone augmentation is a term that is used to describe a variety of procedures that are used to "build" bone so that dental implants can be placed. These procedures typically involve grafting (adding) bone or bonelike materials to the jaw, and waiting for the grafted material to fuse with the existing bone over several months.

Sinus augmentation - In the upper jaw above the back teeth, it is possible to increase the height of bone available by creating new bone in the sinus. This procedure is called a "sinus augmentation". A skilled surgeon can deliver very predictable results in this location and without the general success of this technique many patients would be unable to have implants in a part of the mouth where teeth are so commonly missing.


Bone Block Replacement

A 5-6cm incision will be made from within the mouth; a portion of bone will be removed from the chin and relocated to the required area and attached using miniature screws. The wounds will be stitched with dissolvable stitches. A healing period of 4 months is then allowed.

This procedure will increase the bone density sufficiently to then allow for the placement of implants.


Sinus Lift

A sinus lift, sometimes called a sinus augmentation, is surgery that adds bone to your upper jaw in the area of your molars and premolars to make it taller. The bone is added between your jaw and the maxillary sinuses, which are on either side of your nose. To make room for the bone, the sinus membrane has to be moved upward, or "lifted." A sinus lift usually is done by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon or a periodontist.
A sinus lift is done when there is not enough bone in the upper jaw, or the sinuses are too close to the jaw, for dental implants to be placed. There are several reasons for this:

Many people who have lost teeth in their upper jaw - particularly the back teeth, or molars - do not have enough bone for implants to be placed. Because of the anatomy of the skull, the back of the upper jaw has less bone than the lower jaw.

• Bone may have been lost because of periodontal (gum) disease.
• Once teeth are gone, bone begins to be resorbed (absorbed back into the body). If teeth have been missing for a long time, there often is not enough bone left to place implants.
• The maxillary sinus may be too close to the upper jaw for implants to be placed. The shape and the size of this sinus vary among individuals. In addition, the sinus can get larger as you age.

Sinus lifts have become common over the past 15 years as more people are getting dental implants to replace missing teeth.


Both bone grafting and sinus lifts are relatively difficult dental procedures therefore we suggest that patients contact us online or call our representatives in the UK, so we can discuss your individual requirements and provide you a detailed plan to meet your needs.

You can also schedule a consultation in London here, or take a look at our treatment prices in Budapest and London.

Bone grafting and sinus lift treatment will be carried out by Dr. Bela Batorfi and Dr. Attila Halasz, our oral surgeons, who have more than 30 years combined experience in dental implantology and dental surgical treatment.