Soltan, Muna DDS Riverside CA, Smiler, Dennis DDS, MScD, Encino, CA

Figure 1 Buccal bone osteotomy with #8 bur.

Many edentulous posterior maxillas are found to be encumbered by alveolar ridge resorption and increased pneumatization of the sinus. These factors limit the quantity and quality of bone necessary for successful implant placement in these areas. One solution is the use of shorter implants but this often results in an unfavorable crown to root ratio. In order to create an improved environment in such small regions, the classical sinus floor elevation with bone augmentation is a well-accepted technique. However, when the edentulous area is limited to a zone between one or two teeth, lifting the membrane becomes difficult and may be subject to iatrogenic injury. The Antral Membrane Balloon Elevation (AMBE) technique is a modification and combination of surgical techniques that add sufficient bone height allowing placement of longer implants of up to 16mm. The success of this technique does not depend on the accessible ridge height and when teeth are adjacent to the edentulous area, the membrane is easily elevated making the antral floor accessible for augmentation with the appropriate graft material.