A sinus lift is a separate item from the implant
The implant price has three items, fixture, abutment, and crown, and the sinus lift and bone graft material are added separately on top.
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TAPDONG SINUS LIFT
Sinus Lift Implants When Is It Not Needed?
We have put in one page whether a sinus lift is really needed, how the cost is set, and how much longer it takes.
Why Diagnosis Matters
A sinus lift: do you really need one?
A sinus lift is surgery that lifts the membrane at the floor of the maxillary sinus above an upper molar and adds bone graft material to create bone height for placing an implant, and it is not needed if enough bone remains. Whether it is needed is decided by the remaining bone height up to the floor of the sinus on the 3D CBCT, and Yeonhap Dental Clinic places the implant without a sinus lift if the remaining bone is 7 mm or more, and considers a sinus lift when it is under 7 mm. A sinus lift is a separate item from the implant, and the timing of the prosthesis is decided by the remaining bone and the stability and healing.
Consultation Checklist
What we check at your first consultation
Whether a sinus lift is needed, and how much the cost and period change, is decided at the first consultation by looking at the five points below on CBCT.
- The remaining bone height up to the floor of the maxillary sinus. If 7 mm or more, the implant is placed without a sinus lift
- If under 7 mm, whether to try the crestal approach first or use the lateral approach from the start, based on the sinus membrane condition. The cost items differ by method
- The sinus membrane condition and whether it is inflamed. If inflamed, the order and period of treatment change
- Whether you are eligible for covered implants at age 65 or older. Even if covered, the sinus lift is separate
- When the upper molar was extracted. The longer ago, the lower the bone and the greater the chance of a sinus lift
Treatment Options
This Is How the Cost of a Sinus Lift Is Set
A sinus lift is added as a separate item to the price of one implant (fixture, abutment, crown). The crestal and lateral approaches have different items, and with 7 mm or more of remaining bone, this item does not exist. If your estimate has a sinus lift, also check the remaining bone height on the CBCT.
Cases that work without a sinus lift: remaining bone of 7 mm or more
If 7 mm or more remains up to the floor of the maxillary sinus on the CBCT, the implant is placed without a sinus lift, and the cost and period are the same as an ordinary implant. Under 7 mm, we choose to build bone and place a length of 7 mm or more, and do not substitute a short implant.
Even for NHI-covered implants at age 65, the sinus lift is separate
At age 65 or older, you can have up to 2 implants per lifetime with a 30% copayment, but a sinus lift and bone graft are not included in coverage. If you are eligible for coverage and the estimate is larger than expected, it is mostly this item.
Planning Points
This Is How the Period Changes If You Have a Sinus Lift
If the condition is good, we expect about 4–5 months to the final prosthesis, and about 6–7 months if bone formation and adaptation to a temporary tooth are needed.
The timing of the prosthesis changes with bone condition
If the remaining bone and the stability and healing are good, the treatment may be completed in about 4–5 months. If bone formation and gradual loading adaptation are needed, it usually goes through a second-stage surgery after 5 months and about 1 month with a temporary tooth before the final prosthesis.
How to read the sinus lift item on an estimate
If a sinus lift is among the items on your estimate, it should also state whether the remaining bone height on the CBCT is under 7 mm, and whether it is crestal or lateral. If either is missing, ask why it is needed.
Before Visit
Helpful details before your visit
If you know the points below, you can receive at the first consultation whether a sinus lift is needed and an item-by-item estimate.
- When the upper molar was extracted and how much time has passed since
- If you are 65 or older, how many covered implants you have used
- The area that bothers you most now and your symptoms
- Your history of sinusitis, symptoms of nasal congestion or runny nose, and the medications you take
Two things to check when you receive a sinus lift estimate
A sinus lift costs more and takes longer, but it is not a choice that sacrifices the result. The estimated 3-year survival rate of implants at sinus lift sites is reported as 92.8% for the crestal approach (19 studies, Tan 2008) and 90.1% for the lateral approach (48 studies, 12,020 implants, Pjetursson 2008). For this reason, Yeonhap Dental Clinic explains a sinus lift estimate through two things: the remaining bone height and the approach. One is whether the remaining bone up to the floor of the sinus on the CBCT is under 7 mm; if it is 7 mm or more, this item does not exist. The other is whether to try the crestal approach first or use the lateral approach from the start; the two methods differ in cost items and recovery period, and are decided not by bone height but by the condition of the sinus membrane. Yeonhap Dental Clinic writes both of these on your estimate. References: Tan 2008, systematic review of 19 studies: estimated 3-year survival of implants with the crestal approach sinus lift, 92.8% · Pjetursson 2008, estimated 3-year survival of implants with the lateral approach sinus lift, 90.1%, 48 studies and 12,020 implants Treatment results may vary by individual oral condition.
Related links
Implant with sinus lift
Sinus Lift Implants in Suwon: Three Key Points
Sinus lift implants in Gwonseon-gu: why we finish the same day even if the membrane tears
Sinus lift: Yeonhap Dental Clinic's 3 treatment criteria
Why implant prices differ in Suwon
The criteria for implants without a bone graft
Back to the implant overview
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Q. Is the cost of a sinus lift included in the implant cost?
- It is not included; it is a separate item. The price of one implant has three items: fixture, abutment, and crown, and the sinus lift and bone graft material are added on top. If the remaining bone is 7 mm or more, this item does not exist at all, so if your estimate has a sinus lift, also check the remaining bone height on the CBCT.
- Q. I'm 65 with NHI-covered implants. Is the sinus lift covered too?
- No. Coverage applies to implant placement and the crown (including zirconia since February 2025), while the sinus lift and bone graft are non-covered and incurred separately. The conditions of 2 per lifetime at age 65 or older with a 30% copayment stay the same.
- Q. How much longer does an implant take if I have a sinus lift?
- If the remaining bone and the stability and healing are good, it is about 4–5 months to the final prosthesis; if bone formation and adaptation to a temporary tooth are needed, about 6–7 months. If the sinus lift is done first and the implant is placed later, we expect about 7–8 months. If you have sinusitis, it starts with a reassessment 3 months after extraction and may take longer.
- Q. Can't I use a short implant instead of a sinus lift?
- We do not recommend it for upper molars. A short implant is a choice used in lower molars, where it is hard to build bone because of the nerve canal, while in upper molars the bone is soft and the sinus floor can be raised so that a length of 7 mm or more can be placed.