Daryl E. Malena DDS
  Periodontics
10838 Old Mill Road
Omaha, Nebraska 68154
402 330 4100

Just as other kinds of surgery have become miniaturized, so have periodontal and implant surgery.  Not very long ago a cholecystectomy, or gall bladder removal, required an eleven day stay in the hospital.  Today it is common to not even require an overnight stay, but a few cases still can be very complex.

Implant surgery that requires bone grafts and other supporting procedures can be complicated, but there are minimal side effects, bruising and swelling are relatively rare and ordinary over-the-counter ibuprofen is sufficient for pain control after surgery.

An example of a very challenging implant placement surgery, is the placement of implants in the upper posterior area when the sinus has expanded its size in response to the extraction of upper molars.  In some cases only a slim two or three millimeters of bone remains between the mouth and the sinus floor.  The traditional solution to this problem is a surgical procedure sometimes known as a sinus lift where bone is grafted into the sinus from the side and implants are placed that can not be used to support teeth for at least a year. 

Recent advances in sinus surgery have demonstrated that this highly invasive procedure can be eliminated in most cases. A periodontist at the American Academy of Periodontology 2002 meeting announced a series of 275 consecutive cases of accomplishing the very same result with bone graft placed through the implant drill holes.  A remarkable example of the benefits of the miniaturization of surgery.

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