Maxillary sinus augmentation

The placement of endosseous implants in posterior edentulous maxilla is normally a challenging task in implant dentistry due to maxillary sinus pneumatization. Various sinus augmentation techniques have been used with impressive success rates aimed at developing these sites for implant placement. Knowledge of anatomy of maxillary sinus guides us not only in proper preoperative treatment planning but also helps us to avoid the possible complications that may arise during sinus augmentation procedure. This topic attracts a rising number of publications with most of them reporting results that suggest, the patients with atrophic maxillae requiring implant treatment can benefit considerably from the use of sinus augmentation. This article explains the basic techniques, namely, direct and indirect techniques used for maxillary sinus elevation and augmentation.