The use of osteotomes for sinus augmentation at the time of implant placement

The placement of endosseous dental implants is often hampered by the loss of alveolar bone. In the posterior maxilla, the presence of the maxillary sinus and less-dense bone present additional obstacles to successful implant placement. Existing methods of subantral augmentation require extensive surgical manipulation, often including a second surgical site for harvesting autogenous bone. The development of surgical osteotomes has facilitated the placement of implants in areas of minimal alveolar bone height in the posterior maxilla. This article describes the osteotome technique for sinus augmentation at the time of implant placement and presents a short-term evaluation of 34 implants placed in 18 patients.