Patent ID: 7125253

Claim:
A dental implant method, comprising: forming a hole in an alveolar bone of a maxilla, adjacent a sinus cavity having a sinus membrane lining the sinus cavity, the hole being fanned so as to leave a bridge portion separating the hole from a bottom surface of a sinus cavity wall; separating the bridge portion from the sinus cavity wall to form an overhang portion along a side of the hole, adjacent an upper opening of the hole; and lifting the bridge portion and the sinus membrane together at least partially into the sinus cavity, to raise the bridge portion a first predetermined lift distance into the sinus cavity; wherein the step of lifting the first predetermined lift distance is performed by a first lifting device that includes a shaft having a lip and a lifting portion of a first height; wherein the lip is step-shaped and the overhang portion is formed to be complementarily step-shaped; and wherein as the first lifting device is inserted into the hole, ingress of the first lifting device is stopped by contact between the step-shaped overhang portion of the hole and the step-shaped lip of the first lifting device, to thereby position the bridge portion at the first predetermined lift distance into the sinus cavity.