Advanced Maxillary Sinus Procedures with Testori: An Intensive Masterclass

Session 1 – Exploring a Range of Care Options

In the opening session of this Masterclass, Prof. Testori introduces the full spectrum of therapeutic approaches for maxillary sinus elevation and explains how to select the most appropriate strategy for each case. He examines the key elements that guide this decision-making process, including the patient’s main concern, economic considerations, the clinician’s level of experience, and several additional clinical variables.

He emphasizes that treatment planning should aim to maximize predictability and workflow efficiency by integrating digital technologies and rigorously validated, evidence-based protocols. As the lesson progresses, the focus shifts to more advanced clinical aspects: when it is advisable to involve an ENT specialist, strategies to reduce the risk of problems during and after surgery, the anatomical and biological characteristics of the maxillary membrane, and how to recognize an unhealthy sinus through its clinical manifestations.

More specifically, this lecture explores:

• Surgical classification of the Schneiderian membrane into thick, medium, and thin types, based on color and degree of transparency
• How to collect and interpret the patient’s medical history and radiographic findings
• The contribution of ENT specialists during the preoperative assessment
• Key clinical indicators and signs that suggest maxillary sinus infection

Duration: 55 min

Session 2 – Grading the Complexity of Sinus Lifts and Key Strategies for Accurate Diagnosis

This session is dedicated to understanding what makes a maxillary sinus elevation simple, moderate, or highly demanding. Professor Testori presents his Sinus Elevation Difficulty Score, showing how this practical grading system allows clinicians to immediately grasp how challenging a specific sinus lift procedure will be. Since choosing the right patient and case is crucial when approaching maxillary sinus augmentation, special emphasis is placed on decision-making for case selection, with clear guidance on which situations are most suitable for younger or less experienced practitioners.

More specifically, the lesson explores:

• How to recognize and select cases appropriate for beginners
• Key diagnostic strategies for progressing from straightforward to complex scenarios
• Why choosing the correct case is critical to predictable outcomes
• How to use preoperative CBCT and facial screening in planning the procedure

Duration: 36 min

Session 3: Hands-On Patient Assessment in Practice

In this session, Prof. Testori explores the clinical strategy behind managing maxillary sinus elevation. He explains how to clinically recognize warning signs of sinus infection, including the presence of graft material in the ostium and the onset of sinusitis.

The lesson emphasizes the importance of close collaboration with ENT specialists at the diagnostic stage, so implantologists can more accurately identify thickened or diseased sinus membranes caused by subclinical sinusitis.

Key points addressed in this lesson include:

• Microscopic anatomy and organization of the sinus membrane
• Management of complex cases: severely reduced crestal bone, patients who are heavy smokers, and situations involving bone dehiscence
• Clinical protocol: monthly follow-up and ongoing monitoring of the patient

Duration: 1 h 09 min

Lecture 4 – Microscopic Anatomy and Functional Biology of the Sinus

In this recorded lesson, Prof. Testori walks through multiple real clinical cases to illustrate how to work with various biomaterials, including Novomatrix, used together with fibrin sealant and Baxter Deerfield. He then dedicates a section of the session to exploring in detail how collagenated porcine dermal matrices function and what specific benefits they offer in clinical practice.

Duration: 31 min

Session 5: When to Perform an Antrostomy, Planning the Flap, and Essential Anesthesia Principles

Following an overview of the scientific rationale for clinical protocols and the essential diagnostic steps, Prof. Testori moves from theory to live surgery, narrating each phase in detail as he works. He begins by demonstrating his complete anesthetic sequence, then focuses on an advanced flap approach that he regards as the decisive element in every sinus lift. To conclude, he compares techniques for creating the antrostomy window, examining how to optimize the procedure with both piezoelectric technology and conventional rotary tools.

This session specifically explores:

• A detailed, ordered anesthetic sequence: buccal-distal, buccal-mesial, palatal-distal, palatal-mesial, and the corner of the mouth
• Common pitfalls in administering local anesthesia and how incorrect techniques typically occur
• A contemporary approach in surgery: designing periodontal flaps to achieve coverage of gingival recessions
• Strategies for performing the antrostomy window most effectively, contrasting piezosurgery with standard rotary instrumentation

Duration: 1 h

Session 6 – Surgical Bone Cutting, Skeletal Realignment and the DASK Approach

Following an overview of antrostomy, Prof. Testori shifts the focus to osteotomy, management of the bony window, and the practical use of the DASK technique. He then demonstrates how to make full use of DASK as a comprehensive kit that supports multiple sinus lift approaches.

This session specifically walks through:

• Performing the erosion method using a large diamond bur
• Sealing the repositioned bone window with tisseel
• Executing antrostomy either through erosion or via deflection

Duration: 30 min

Lecture 7 – Streamlined Antrostomy Planning with the SAD Approach

Prof. Testori presents an innovative configuration for creating the antrostomy, making it easier to separate and elevate the sinus membrane during sinus floor augmentation procedures.

Duration: 17 min

Lecture 8 – Mastering the Reduced Height Window Approach

In this session, you’ll explore the recently introduced Low Window Technique and how it reshapes surgical planning. Professor Testori demonstrates how this approach streamlines the incision strategy, relying on a single linear cut without releasing incisions. By simplifying the flap design, the technique helps reduce postoperative discomfort, minimizing pain, bruising, and swelling for the patient.

Duration: 26 min

Lecture 9 – Managing Surgical Mishaps: Leaks at the Anastomosis and Intraoperative Perforation

In this session, Prof. Testori uses a series of surgical video clips to walk you through the typical complications that may arise during a sinus lift. He demonstrates how to recognize these issues as they happen and illustrates practical strategies for handling them both during the operation and in the healing period that follows.

Duration: 1 h 08 min

Lecture 10 – Planning the Implant Recipient Area: Incisions, Flap Design, and Suturing Steps

Professor Testori emphasizes that the way the flap is planned and executed largely dictates whether a sinus lift will be predictable or problematic, and this session focuses entirely on that stage of the surgery. During the lesson, he also explains in which clinical situations implant site preparation is required, how it should be performed, and which suturing sequence is most appropriate to finalize the procedure.

Duration: 55 min

Lecture 11 – Using Piezosurgery for the Crestal Technique

The crestal technique has long carried a reputation for being unreliable and overly hazardous. Prof. Testori, however, regards it as a reliable option when used in carefully selected situations—specifically, in patients without vertical defects, with only minor horizontal deficiencies, and in the presence of a spacious sinus cavity.

Duration: 50 min

Lecture 12 – Exploring Options Beyond Traditional Sinus Lift Procedures

In the final theory-focused session of the Masterclass, Prof. Testori explores treatment options that can replace a traditional sinus lift. He discusses when and how to use All-on-4, transinusal implants, zygomatic implants, and the M.I.F.A (Minimally Invasive Full Arch) protocol as alternative solutions.

Duration: 1 h

On-Demand Surgical Workshop: Performing a Bilateral Sinus Lift

In this opening ReLIVE Surgery session, Prof. Testori will perform a bilateral sinus augmentation and walk you through each phase of the operation in a clear, sequential manner. The patient currently wears a complete maxillary denture that lacks stability and comfort. Because the patient declined the option of zygomatic implant placement, the agreed-upon treatment approach is an overdenture anchored on six conventional implants.

Duration: 1 h 24 min

Challenging Case Maxillary Sinus Elevation Surgery – Two‑Part Live Replay

In the final ReLIVE Surgery of the course, you’ll see one comprehensive clinical case that brings everything together—putting into practice, in a single procedure, all the concepts, techniques, and protocols previously presented and discussed throughout the program.

Duration: 2 h 22 min