Dentistry - Should I get a sinus lift or not?

Author

Should I get a sinus lift or not?

JimSocal

2006-07-24, 9:22 pm

Hi, as you may recall I recently had 4 implants (#'s 18, 19, 20 and
29) on the bottom.

Now the plan is to get #'s 2 and 4 (possibly #3 as well, or just a
bridged crown there).

The thing is this:
In order to get those teeth, which I do need, because I have nothing
to chew with on that upper side (1-4), I am wary of getting it because
he says I need to get a sinus lift - "lateral, crestal, with
osteotomes".

I read about this procedure and while it seems to be mostly
successful, the fact that I have had sinus problems my whole life, and
take medication for my sinus problems (runny/stuffy nose due to
allergic rhinitis mostly) every day of my life.

I am very concerned about having my sinuses "messsed with". I am even
more concerned about having them messed with by a student and I'm not
sure if he's even done one of these before, or maybe he's done one or
two.

At this point I told my student oral surgeon - who apparently did a
fine job with my implants - that I am concerned about having them done
by a student, in particular, and having them done at all, by even an
expert. I am wondering if there is any alternative, like maybe just
getting one implant without needing a sinus lift...?

If I absolutely must have a sinus lift, to get teeth in that area,
then I guess the question is should I wait and get it done by an
expert who has done a number of sinus lifts, or if it is an easy
enough procedure that I can trust the student to do it with the prof.
looking over his shoulder?

I wonder if I can request that the prof do it while the student looks
on? I don't know if they allow this kind of request or if the student
HAS to do it? After all I am paying lower prices to let the student
practice on me...

Any feedback from you oral surgeons and dentists on this? Should I
wait and pay extra for a well-seasoned surgeon to do this procedure,
or is it easy enough for a student to do?

Or should I not do it at all based on my long-term sinus problems?

Alexander Vasserman DDS

2006-07-25, 2:23 am

JimSocal wrote:
> Hi, as you may recall I recently had 4 implants (#'s 18, 19, 20 and
> 29) on the bottom.
>
> Now the plan is to get #'s 2 and 4 (possibly #3 as well, or just a
> bridged crown there).
>
> The thing is this:
> In order to get those teeth, which I do need, because I have nothing
> to chew with on that upper side (1-4), I am wary of getting it because
> he says I need to get a sinus lift - "lateral, crestal, with
> osteotomes".
>
> I read about this procedure and while it seems to be mostly
> successful, the fact that I have had sinus problems my whole life, and
> take medication for my sinus problems (runny/stuffy nose due to
> allergic rhinitis mostly) every day of my life.
>
> I am very concerned about having my sinuses "messsed with". I am even
> more concerned about having them messed with by a student and I'm not
> sure if he's even done one of these before, or maybe he's done one or
> two.
>
> At this point I told my student oral surgeon - who apparently did a
> fine job with my implants - that I am concerned about having them done
> by a student, in particular, and having them done at all, by even an
> expert. I am wondering if there is any alternative, like maybe just
> getting one implant without needing a sinus lift...?
>
> If I absolutely must have a sinus lift, to get teeth in that area,
> then I guess the question is should I wait and get it done by an
> expert who has done a number of sinus lifts, or if it is an easy
> enough procedure that I can trust the student to do it with the prof.
> looking over his shoulder?

Somebody had to be the guinie pig for the professor.
If the student is doing this you most likely are the first to get this
particular procedure done, however if the student wasn't qualified to
do this procedure based on past surgeries he would not be allowed to do
the procedure since the professor and dental school could get sued.
>
> I wonder if I can request that the prof do it while the student looks
> on? I don't know if they allow this kind of request or if the student
> HAS to do it? After all I am paying lower prices to let the student
> practice on me...
you request will not be honoured. you may be this student's final exam.
Sometimes the prof will sit down to show something to the student an
easier way perhaps or short cut.but for the most part the purpose of a
teaching institution is to teach the student who is paying tuition in
addition to what you are paying. Also if the prof does the procedure
outside the school you would be paying a lot more.

>
> Any feedback from you oral surgeons and dentists on this? Should I
> wait and pay extra for a well-seasoned surgeon to do this procedure,
> or is it easy enough for a student to do?
>
That is your choice.

> Or should I not do it at all based on my long-term sinus problems?
Sinus problems should be addressed at some point although this
procedure is not supposed to damage the sinus membrane although this is
a risk. I would make sure the student and prof are aware of your
history with sinus problems.

JimSocal

2006-07-26, 4:27 pm

On 24 Jul 2006 23:25:32 -0700, "Alexander Vasserman DDS"
<purple543210@yahoo.ca> wrote:

>

>
>Somebody had to be the guinie pig for the professor.
>If the student is doing this you most likely are the first to get this
>particular procedure done, however if the student wasn't qualified to
>do this procedure based on past surgeries he would not be allowed to do
>the procedure since the professor and dental school could get sued.
Well, there is the possiblility he has done several before, no? I
know, with my implants, he had done about 23 others before getting to
me, or so I was told.
[vbcol=seagreen]
>you request will not be honoured. you may be this student's final exam.
>Sometimes the prof will sit down to show something to the student an
>easier way perhaps or short cut.but for the most part the purpose of a
>teaching institution is to teach the student who is paying tuition in
>addition to what you are paying. Also if the prof does the procedure
>outside the school you would be paying a lot more.
>
Yes, that makes sense. The question is, how difficult a procedure is
it? What are the chances he will make a mistake and screw up my
sinuses? I suppose no one can answer the 2nd part of this, but the
first part: How difficult is it to do it right, the first time one
does it?
>

>Sinus problems should be addressed at some point although this
>procedure is not supposed to damage the sinus membrane although this is
>a risk. I would make sure the student and prof are aware of your
>history with sinus problems.

They are aware of my sinus problems and want me to get an ENT or ? to
sign off on the procedure. So far, the allergist I spoke with would
not sign off. An ENT I spoke with said "I don't want to get involved
in this", and now I have another appointment with a different ENT to
see if he will sign off on it, or at least give me a realistic
appraisal of how risky this might be to me, personally, given my cat
scans of my sinus area.

Thanks for the honest and forthright answers!

JimSocal

2006-08-04, 9:23 pm

On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 19:51:17 GMT, JimSocal <jimsocal@hottmail.com>
wrote:

>On 24 Jul 2006 23:25:32 -0700, "Alexander Vasserman DDS"
><purple543210@yahoo.ca> wrote:
>
>
>Well, there is the possiblility he has done several before, no? I
>know, with my implants, he had done about 23 others before getting to
>me, or so I was told.
>
>Yes, that makes sense. The question is, how difficult a procedure is
>it? What are the chances he will make a mistake and screw up my
>sinuses? I suppose no one can answer the 2nd part of this, but the
>first part: How difficult is it to do it right, the first time one
>does it?
>
>
>They are aware of my sinus problems and want me to get an ENT or ? to
>sign off on the procedure. So far, the allergist I spoke with would
>not sign off. An ENT I spoke with said "I don't want to get involved
>in this", and now I have another appointment with a different ENT to
>see if he will sign off on it, or at least give me a realistic
>appraisal of how risky this might be to me, personally, given my cat
>scans of my sinus area.
>
>Thanks for the honest and forthright answers!
Just to follow up:
The oral surgeon wanted me to get "permission" from an ENT before
doing the sinus lift, since I have chronic sinus problems.

I went to the ENT with my CT scans and after looking at them he said
that getting the implants/sinus lift would be okay... BUT only after I
reduce the inflammation/swelling/drainage problem being caused by my
allergies.

So he referred me to an allergist, who is supposedly going to put me
on something (allergy shots? new meds?) to get my sinuses more under
control before approving me for the sinus lift.

Make sense to you? It does, to me. I think my sinus problem WAS under
control, until just a few months ago, when I
1) went off my sinus meds because I wanted to see if I could make it
without taking a corticosteroid nasal spray every day for the rest of
my life;
2) allergy season was particularly bad here this year

So the combination really got my sinuses in an uproar, and even though
I went back on meds, so far I am still having a bad time with the
allergic sniffles.

Joel344

2006-08-05, 8:24 am

Schneiderian

..

Sinus problems should be addressed at some point although this
procedure is not supposed to damage the sinus membrane although this
is
a risk. I would make sure the student and prof are aware of your
history with sinus problems.

--
Joel344
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View this thread: http://dentalcom.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4737

JimSocal

2006-08-05, 4:23 pm

On Sat, 05 Aug 2006 13:07:52 GMT, Joel344 <joeleichen@yahoo.com>
wrote:

>
>Schneiderian
>
>.
>
>
>Sinus problems should be addressed at some point although this
>procedure is not supposed to damage the sinus membrane although this
>is
>a risk. I would make sure the student and prof are aware of your
>history with sinus problems.
Right. They are the ones who sent me to the ENT for his
approval/advice. So I am going to wait a while until I get my sinuses
calmed down/under control. Thanks.

Alexander Vasserman DDS

2006-08-08, 2:22 am

I'm glad the chronic sinus problem is getting addressed although you
are going to be dependent on the meds. Also it kind of sucks the ENT
can not do anything about it other than send you to an allergist.

JimSocal wrote:
> On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 19:51:17 GMT, JimSocal <jimsocal@hottmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> Just to follow up:
> The oral surgeon wanted me to get "permission" from an ENT before
> doing the sinus lift, since I have chronic sinus problems.
>
> I went to the ENT with my CT scans and after looking at them he said
> that getting the implants/sinus lift would be okay... BUT only after I
> reduce the inflammation/swelling/drainage problem being caused by my
> allergies.
>
> So he referred me to an allergist, who is supposedly going to put me
> on something (allergy shots? new meds?) to get my sinuses more under
> control before approving me for the sinus lift.
>
> Make sense to you? It does, to me. I think my sinus problem WAS under
> control, until just a few months ago, when I
> 1) went off my sinus meds because I wanted to see if I could make it
> without taking a corticosteroid nasal spray every day for the rest of
> my life;
> 2) allergy season was particularly bad here this year
>
> So the combination really got my sinuses in an uproar, and even though
> I went back on meds, so far I am still having a bad time with the
> allergic sniffles.

JimSocal

2006-08-08, 9:23 pm

On 7 Aug 2006 23:21:45 -0700, "Alexander Vasserman DDS"
<purple543210@yahoo.ca> wrote:

>I'm glad the chronic sinus problem is getting addressed although you
>are going to be dependent on the meds. Also it kind of sucks the ENT
>can not do anything about it other than send you to an allergist.
>
Yeah, especially since it was [a different] allergist who sent me to
the ENT! The allergist said, "Well, to get approval for a sinus lift,
you really should go to an ENT". So I went. Then the ENT says, "Well,
to address your sinus problem you really should go to an allergist."
NOW, if this other allergist sends me back to an ENT, I am going to
really get upset!

JimSocal

2006-08-26, 9:22 pm

On Tue, 08 Aug 2006 23:25:56 GMT, JimSocal <jimsocal@hottmail.com>
wrote:

>On 7 Aug 2006 23:21:45 -0700, "Alexander Vasserman DDS"
><purple543210@yahoo.ca> wrote:
>
>Yeah, especially since it was [a different] allergist who sent me to
>the ENT! The allergist said, "Well, to get approval for a sinus lift,
>you really should go to an ENT". So I went. Then the ENT says, "Well,
>to address your sinus problem you really should go to an allergist."
>NOW, if this other allergist sends me back to an ENT, I am going to
>really get upset!
So I went to the allergist and he basically said, "well, just increase
your dose of nasal spray (non-systemic corticosteroid fluticasone
(flo-nase generic)) and it should get better. He, like none of the 3
other ENT's and allergists I have seen recently, would not "sign off"
on it being okay to get a sinus lift (although no one said NOT to;
they just don't want to say it's okay; for legal reasons, I'm sure).
He said the only thing I can really do for my allergies is to take 3
years of allergy shot treatments (guess what: he's an allergist who
gives these treatments), or keep taking the medicine I've been taking,
which seems to keep my allergies under control for the most part.

The fact is I went off my med for a month right before I got my CT
scan of my upper maxillary. So it got pretty bad. Now it's pretty much
back to normal: I take my daily dose of Flo-nase (generic) and my nose
problems are kept to a minimum.

So I'm just going to tell the oral surgeon to go ahead and schedule me
for the sinus lift and implants in a month or so, unless they refuse
to do it without an "ok" from a doctor, which I have tried and have
failed to get.