Enhancing Healing and Recovery: The Role of PRF in Oral Surgery
Do you have fears of undergoing oral surgery?
Do you know how you can get better early and with minimal suffering?
Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a highly efficient medical instrument in surgical dentistry.
PRF promotes tissue repair and reduces inflammation as a single line or combination with diverse biomaterials.
But what exactly is PRF, and how does it work in dental surgery?
What is PRF, or Platelet-rich Fibrin?
Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a blood component formed from the consistency of the plasma.
It is not a random by-product but a product containing many platelets and growth factors. These growth factors play a ‘signalling’ role.
They allow cellular communication and offer the acceleration of the healing process. Understanding the principles behind PRF gives you power and confidence.
PRF is an innovative technology that immensely expands bone regeneration and soft tissue healing. Recently, it has been proposed for use in regeneration periodontics and wound healing.
What is the Purpose of PRF, or Platelet-rich Fibrin?
PRF, or platelet-rich fibrin, is a blood concentrate technique for speeding up healing and regeneration:
- It is helpful to treat infra-bony defects of periodontitis, reducing the contact of the wound surface with the oral environment.
- Combined with FDBA (freeze-dried bone allograft), PRP (Platelet-rich plasma) results in better regeneration of the bone using maxillary sinus lift techniques and, thus, leads to decreased implant placement time.
- PRF can act as a biological cement, a powder that holds the particles together and aids in manipulating the bone graft. As such, it drastically promotes new bone formation versus bone formation without using PRF.
- PRF membrane is the sole grafting material for maxillary sinus floor augmentation. It helps wound curing, protects surgical procedures, and acts as a “biological connector” when mixed with bone grafts.
PRF for Oral Surgery Procedures
When PRF is separated in a centrifuge, a fibrin matrix is created through a polymerisation process similar to normal coagulation.
This platelet, leukocyte, and stem cell-rich matrix can be employed for various oral surgical operations, including:
Tooth Extractions
PRF to remove tooth hastens the curing process and decreases the risk of getting a dry socket.
Dental Implants
Normally, the implant site takes three to six months to heal. The use of PRF with dental implants influences the healing and osseointegration processes.
Bone Grafting
PRF may be blended with bone grafting material to boost bone healing and trigger new bone growth.
Gum Grafts
PRF considerably impacts the graft healing process by facilitating quick tissue healing, reducing graft rejection risks, improving vascularisation of the graft site, and aiding graft integration with surrounding tissues.
It can also be utilised as an outer reinforcement with conventional methods.
How Does PRF Work?
Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is formed by separating blood into 3 parts: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
It is employed for tooth extraction and other dental treatments by replacing lost blood with a fortified blood system, which speeds recovery in the most necessary places.
Platelet agglutination and growth factor delivery have reparative features, and therefore, wounds heal faster (typically in hard and soft tissues).
The dental bone has a limited blood supply, resulting in weak healing and making the bone unusable in combat of bacterial and fungal infections.
The aftermath of extractions would resemble the negation of PRF as the healing sites would be naked and open.
Incubating platelets and fibrin-containing therapy into extraction sockets moistens the area and introduces new bone formation using proteins and growth factors.
PRF serves as a spacer that fills the gap between the bony site and the dental implant, retaining the implant and cutting down the risk of bacterial infection of the bone.
The Process
Blood is collected in special test tubes at the start of the procedure and spun in a customised centrifuge.
The blood can be processed in 2 ways: solid fibrin-rich plug (PRF) or liquid injectable form.
Benefits of PRF (Platelet-rich Fibrin)
Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a safe and effective natural healing agent that can be extracted directly from the patient’s blood.
It helps faster healing by glueing mucosal tissues together, increasing blood supply to the affected area, reducing healing time, improving wound immunity and microbial resistance, attracting bone-forming cells to the site, and holding blood clots in place to prevent dry sockets after extraction.
PRF extraction is easy and can be done simultaneously with the surgery, offering its users time-efficient solutions.
In summary, PRF has many advantages for oral surgery treatment, including overcoming pain, accelerating healing, and providing a faster recovery.
The Preparation Before Procedure Using PRF
Before getting a PRF procedure:
- patients should tell their doctor about their medical history
- not use any drugs or supplements the day before the procedure that could affect blood clotting ability
- drink plenty of water the day before the procedure, and
- eat a normal meal on the day of the procedure to keep blood sugar levels stable.
PRF Oral Surgery at Melbourne CBD
At Art De Dente Melbourne CBD, we are using PRF in gum grafts, dental implant surgeries, etc., and doing it in our surgery.
For more information about PRF in Melbourne CBD, call (03) 9642 8955 or make your appointment online.
Visit us at Level 17, 190 Queen Street in Melbourne CBD.