Track lead
Dt. Mahmut Boran — Implantologist & Maxillofacial Surgeon
Dental observership · Turkey · 1, 2 or 3 weeks
Bone Augmentation & Sinus Lift Observership augmentation planning and staged implant care in Turkey
Observation for qualified dentists of how bone deficiency is assessed on CBCT, when guided bone regeneration or sinus floor elevation is indicated, and how staging shapes the implant timeline.
- Qualified dentists
- Observation only
- 1, 2 or 3 weeks
- Working clinical English
- Duration
- 1, 2 or 3 weeks
- Format
- Chair-side observation only
- Who
- Qualified dentists (DDS, BDS or equivalent)
- Setting
- ATDERA Care Network partner practices, Turkey
- Language
- Working clinical English
- Certificate
- Attendance — issuer stated on the document
What can a dentist observe in Bone Augmentation & Sinus Lift?
- CBCT assessment of the deficient site: ridge width and height, defect shape, sinus floor contour, septa and membrane condition.
- Augmentation planning: whether an implant can be placed with simultaneous grafting, or the site should be grafted and implanted later.
- Guided bone regeneration observed chair-side where indicated and on the surgical list, with discussion of graft material and barrier membrane choices.
- Sinus floor elevation where indicated: when a lateral window or a transcrestal approach is chosen, and how residual bone height affects timing.
- Postoperative case review: healing, complications to watch for, and how the team judges that a grafted site is ready for implants.
- The staged implant pathway traced through records of patients at different points, from grafting to implant placement and restoration.
When does an implant site need augmentation, and how does staging change it?
Bone deficiency is a frequent reason an implant plan changes. After tooth loss the ridge resorbs, and in the posterior maxilla sinus pneumatisation can leave little bone beneath the sinus floor. CBCT shows whether the deficiency is horizontal, vertical or both, how far the defect is contained by surrounding bone and, for the sinus, the floor's contour, any septa, membrane thickening or signs of sinus disease that need assessment before surgery. The initial planning question is whether augmentation is needed at all, or whether a shorter or narrower implant, a different position or a different prosthetic design would avoid it.
Where augmentation is indicated, the next decision is timing. If the implant can achieve primary stability in the correct prosthetic position, grafting may be done at the same visit; if not, the site is grafted and the implant placed after healing. Guided bone regeneration combines a graft material with a barrier membrane that holds space while bone forms, and larger or vertical defects are more demanding. For the sinus, a transcrestal approach suits sites with more residual bone, whereas a lateral window is generally used when residual height is limited. Each choice is discussed for its indication, its risks and the healing time it adds.
Staging is what sets this focus apart from an ordinary implant day. A grafted site usually needs several months before implant placement, and the implant needs further healing before restoration, so one patient's sequence can stretch over many months. Bone grafting and sinus-lift procedures appear on the implant track's list where indicated, not on a fixed schedule. A short placement may show one stage in one patient; records review then links it to the stages before and after, which is where much of the learning in augmentation lies.
How this page differs
This page is limited to building bone for implants: guided bone regeneration, sinus lift and the staged pathway they create. Sites with adequate bone belong to the dental implant surgery page; zygomatic implants, used where conventional augmentation is contraindicated, are a conditional option on the full-arch page; the whole programme is on the dental observership page.
Who this focus suits
Qualified dentists who plan or place implants and meet bone deficiency in their own cases, and who want to understand when to graft, when to stage and when to refer.
Tracks and duration
Augmentation cases are scheduled within the implant track, which Dt. Mahmut Boran, implantologist and maxillofacial surgeon, leads. Because grafting appears on the list only where indicated, the longer options give more scheduling room: implants as the primary track over two weeks, or all three tracks over three, rather than the 1-week introduction.
What an observer does not do
The programme is observation-only by design: observers do not place implants, prepare teeth, fit prostheses or carry out any clinical intervention on patients, regardless of their home qualifications.
- Guided bone regeneration and sinus-lift cases appear on the list where clinically indicated; a procedure cannot be promised for your dates.
- A short placement rarely spans a whole staged case; grafting, implant placement and restoration are usually months apart.
- Observation-only: observers do not handle graft material, raise flaps or carry out any surgical step.
- The certificate records attendance; it is not a surgical qualification and confers no clinical privileges.
Before you enquire
- Open to qualified dentists holding a DDS, BDS or equivalent; final-year dental students and dental therapists are not currently eligible.
- Working clinical English is required; observers self-assess to CEFR B2 or above and language readiness is confirmed at review.
- Enquiries go through the contact form. ATDERA reviews each one individually and asks for a current CV and two professional references.
- Specific case types are aligned with the partner clinician's list at scheduling, not at application; four to eight weeks from application to a confirmed placement is typical.
What do dentists ask about Bone Augmentation & Sinus Lift?
Can sinus lift or GBR cases be requested?
Yes. Name sinus lift, guided bone regeneration or both in your enquiry. Bone grafting and sinus-lift procedures are on the implant track's case list where indicated, so they follow individual patients' plans rather than fixed surgical days. The scheduling team tries to place your dates near such a case, but this is settled at scheduling against two- to three-week rolling clinical lists, and a patient may postpone, so no procedure can be promised. If none falls in your dates, augmentation planning is still discussed in case review from CBCT and records.
How does staged treatment affect a short observership?
Staging spreads one patient's care over many months: grafting, a healing period, implant placement, further integration and then restoration. A 1-, 2- or 3-week placement therefore usually captures one stage of a given patient rather than the whole sequence. The gap is bridged by case review, where CBCT, surgical records and follow-up images of patients at different stages are discussed together, so you can see how a decision at the grafting stage played out later. Longer placements add more chances to see different stages chair-side.
Which sinus-lift approaches are discussed?
Both mainstream approaches are discussed in terms of indication rather than technique steps. A transcrestal approach elevates the sinus floor through the implant site and generally suits sites with more residual bone; a lateral window approach opens the lateral sinus wall and is used where residual height is limited or more graft volume is needed. The discussion covers CBCT findings such as septa and membrane thickening, membrane perforation as a recognised intraoperative complication, and whether to place the implant at the same visit or later.
Are graft materials and membranes discussed?
Yes, as clinical choices rather than products. Discussion covers why autogenous bone, a bone substitute or a combination is chosen for a given defect, when a resorbable or non-resorbable membrane is used, and how defect shape and containment affect the plan. No graft or membrane brand is named or endorsed, and the placement includes no product instruction. Observers can follow these choices at planning and in case review; they do not handle graft materials.
Do I need surgical experience to apply?
Any qualified dentist with a DDS, BDS or equivalent primary qualification can apply; no separate surgical threshold is published. The discussion is easier to follow with some familiarity with implant planning and CBCT anatomy, so it helps to state your current surgical experience and what you want from augmentation cases in your enquiry. The review, which includes a CV and two professional references, uses this to match your dates to suitable days on the implant track's list.
Interested in this focus?
Tell us which focus and duration you are considering. ATDERA's coordination team reviews every enquiry individually and proposes a placement window aligned with the partner practice's clinical schedule.