sinus infection

Replacing a lost tooth isn’t always a walk in the park. Sometimes, you don’t have enough bone in your upper jaw to support an implant. That’s where a sinus lift comes in.
Sinus lifts are thought to be the best available solution for people who don’t have enough bone to support a dental implant. Even better, the surgery has a low risk of complications, according to a study published in the Implantologie Journal. That being said, it’s still important to discuss potential sinus lift complications so that you are fully informed before you choose to get surgery.

What is a sinus lift?

A sinus lift is a type of surgery that adds more bone to your upper jaw, where your molars or premolars should be. It is also known as sinus augmentation. Your sinus membrane needs to be lifted in order to fit additional bone between your jaw and your maxillary sinuses, which is why it’s called a “sinus lift”. Your maxillary sinuses are the largest of your sinuses and are located under your eyes and above your teeth.

Sinus lift complications

Thankfully, serious complications in sinus lift procedures are very rare. Like any surgery though, there is some risk of complications, which include the following:

• Puncturing of the sinus membrane during surgery. This is by far the most common complication during a sinus lift. Your surgeon should be able to patch or stitch up the punctured membrane, which will repair it. If they can’t do this, they may stop the surgery and allow your membrane to heal before they redo the surgery.
• Sinus infection. Like with any surgery, there is a risk of infection. However, getting a sinus infection due to a sinus lift is very rare. It’s usually caused by an infection of the materials used during surgery.
• Wound drainage, also known as purulent exudate, may occur. You may know this type of drainage as pus. This isn’t a huge threat and can typically be taken care of with irrigation techniques and antibiotics.
• You may experience discoloration under your eyes due to a collection of blood building up after surgery. This is usually caused by damage to blood vessels during surgery or improper care of the patient’s mouth after surgery. Hematoma generally occurs in older women and should clear up after two weeks. It presents no danger - it’s only an aesthetic issue.
• Implant failure. On very rare occasions, your implant may not be able to connect with the bone material. This failure can also occur with your natural bone as well (without a sinus lift).

If you experience any of the following signs of sinus lift complications, you should contact your surgeon immediately:

• Swelling or pain increases or does not decrease after two days.
• A fever develops.
• Bone-like material moves after you sneeze or blow your nose.
• Bleeding continues after one or two days.
• Bleeding becomes bright red and flows at a constant pace.

How to reduce your risk of complications

Sinus lifts have a low risk of complications in general. As long as you’re healthy, choose a good surgeon, and take proper care of yourself, you typically shouldn’t have anything to worry about.
While some uncontrollable factors may cause sinus lift complications, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk. You should always choose a skilled and board-certified dental surgeon to perform your surgery. At Water Tower Dental Care, Dr. Daniel Aneszko and Dr. Rana Stino will refer you to a skilled, experienced and certified surgeon if you need a sinus lift. Experienced doctors should reduce your risk of infection and puncturing.
You also need to carefully follow your after-surgery care instructions. If you don’t properly care for your wound, you could run into infection, hematoma, or other problems.
Finally, keeping your mouth clean and avoiding smoking can greatly reduce your risk of developing issues post-surgery. Smoking in particular has been found to significantly increase the risk of dental implant failure.
Complications after a sinus lift are typically very low-risk. It would be rare for you to run into any serious problems after or during this surgery. If you would like to learn more about sinus lift surgery in Chicago, feel free to reach out to Chicago’s number one dentistry! We would be honored to put you on a path to a healthy, full smile.

Everyone in Chicago knows that the city’s winter weather can be hard on your commute, skin and nose. But extremely cold weather can also affect your teeth and mouth. Many Chicagoans experience uncomfortable sensations or even extreme pain in their mouth while in icy weather. Let’s take a look at why that happens and what you can do to keep your teeth and mouth feeling great all winter long!

The Effects of Chicago Winter Weather On Your Teeth & Mouth

Since teeth are naturally porous and sensitive, many people experience tooth sensitivity in the cold. Subtle irritation from time to time is normal and usually nothing to worry about. However, constant sensitivity in the same area of your mouth during the winter months may mean that the cold air is revealing a problem with your teeth.
If you have regular discomfort in the same area of your tooth, it could be caused by a variety of issues, including tiny fractures, bigger cracks, thin enamel, teeth clenching habits, or cavities. Each of these problems can lead to sensitive areas of your teeth being exposed, which in turn can cause teeth pain and discomfort all winter long.
Fillings, crowns or bridges that don’t fit your teeth anymore may also cause sensitivity.
Now let’s not let teeth take all of the spotlight here. Gum disease may be the culprit when it comes to your sensitive teeth and mouth. Gum disease can cause your gums to move away from your teeth, exposing your very sensitive roots. Two telltale signs of gum disease are sore and inflamed gums.
Surprisingly enough, a sinus infection can also be the source of your tooth pain. Swollen sinuses put pressure on the roots of your teeth, which can cause your teeth to hurt. This typically occurs in the back top teeth.
Finally, cold sores are known to wreak havoc during the winter thanks to the flu, stress, fatigue, and extreme weather conditions, according to Sitavig.

Tips To Keep Your Teeth & Mouth Feeling Better During The Winter

Now that you know what’s causing your teeth and mouth sensitivity during the winter, it’s time to get to the important part: how to make it better. If you’re experiencing regular irritation, you should visit a dentist to get to the root of your problem. It could be something serious, like gum disease. But until then, here are some tips to hold you over:

• Breathe in through your nose as much as you can. This way, the cold air won’t be able to reach sensitive areas in your mouth and cause irritation.
• Try not to clench your teeth when you are cold. Clenching can cause tooth erosion and more pain in cold weather.
• Drinking something warm, like tea, when you’re out in the cold should help ease any pain caused by low temperatures.
• Make sure you’re brushing your teeth properly twice a day and flossing once a day.
• Try using a fluoride mouthwash and toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth twice a day to create extra protection from the cold air.
• If you have allergies or think you might have a sinus infection, visit a doctor to find out how to treat it.
• Avoid stress, keep your lips moisturized and wash your hands during the winter months to minimize cold sore breakouts, according to Sitavig. You can also receive laser therapy for cold sores at our offices in Chicago! Laser therapy will help reduce the number of breakouts you have by destroying the herpes simplex virus.
• If your teeth sensitivity or mouth problems persist or feel abnormally bad, make time to visit your dentist. You may have a dental issue that needs to be addressed before it gets worse.

Want to get rid of your winter mouth and teeth issues once and for all? Visit Chicago’s top general and cosmetic dentistry! We’ll do everything we can to get to the root of your mouth discomfort and tooth sensitivity issues.