Piezoelectric-Assisted Osteotome-Mediated Sinus Floor Elevation: An Innovative Approach

Sinus floor elevation can be done by lateral maxillary approach or crestal approach by osteotome techniques as a function of residual bone height. The osteotome technique has been developed for minor sinus floor elevation. This is a method with relatively high predictability but is technically demanding. During the past decade, different osteotome-mediated sinus floor elevation techniques have been developed to augment the sinus for predictable implant placement. All these methods aim to access a better, predictable sinus augmentation with low morbidity. Some of these techniques require special equipment or materials, complicated procedure, and a long learning curve. This article describes an innovative approach to sinus augmentation, namely, piezoelectric-assisted osteotome-mediated sinus floor elevation. This method uses a newly designed piezoelectric tip, which can perform sinus floor osteotomy in a simple and atraumatic way. This approach has the greatest advantages of good tactile sense in osteotomy, least perforation, patient comfort with the least and lightest malleting, and shortened surgery. This method may be the most favorable osteotome technique in the future. (Implant Dent 2010;19:299-306)