Maxillary Sinus Elevation Difficulty Score with Lateral Wall Technique

Maxillary sinus augmentation is a procedure commonly performed in patients in need of posterior maxillary implants with limited vertical ridge height and sinus pneumatization. However, minimal information has been presented to evaluate the complexity of the sinus elevation procedure via a lateral window approach based on patient examination, including extraoral findings, anatomical factors, and the possible influence from the surgeon's experience. Therefore, this article presents a new scheme of maxillary sinus floor elevation difficulty score based on comprehensive patient- and surgicalrelated factors. The proposed scoring tool aims to aid surgeons in performing a comprehensive presurgical evaluation prior to the lateral wall sinus augmentation surgery and also enhance communication between clinicians and patients regarding the complexity of the case. Keywords: intraoperative complications, maxillary sinus, postoperative complications, risk factors, sinus floor augmentation