Platelet Rich Plasma in Dentistry: PRP & PRF

Nov 20

A lot of people have probably never heard of platelet-rich plasma (PRP). It is a therapy that utilizes a concentrated form of one’s blood to speed up healing processes in damaged tissues in some parts of the body. It is usually administered in the form of an injection.

PRP has been used in vast fields in the medical world to promote healing and tissue regeneration. There’s evidence of its use to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss, treat acute sport and tendon injuries, and fight osteoarthritis.

From the name, platelet-rich plasma is derived from the plasma of a patient’s blood. If you are not aware, plasma is the liquid portion that makes up the bulk of your blood. It is in this plasma that platelets along with red and white blood cells are found. Platelets are the cells responsible for blood clotting and other healing processes. Since platelets play a role in healing, the idea behind PRP injection is that its administration in damaged body tissues may be able to accelerate healing activities by stimulating the growth of new body cells.

While PRP has been around for quite some time, its application in the field of dentistry is still relatively new. Today, PRP therapy is used to promote healing in many dental procedures like dental implants, tooth removal, bone grafts, and many more.

How does PRP therapy work?

As we have said earlier, PRP therapy utilizes a concentrated form of one’s blood that’s rich in platelets to speed up healing processes in damaged tissues. If for instance, you are about to undergo PRP therapy after a dental surgery, a health professional will draw out the required blood quantity in a tube from your body, which is usually no more than a typical blood draw. The blood is then spun at a specific speed in a centrifuge to separate the plasma from red blood cells. Subsequent spinning of the plasma further concentrates the platelet content of the blood. After spinning, the plasma clots to form a large fibrin clot, the PRP, which contains more amounts of growth factors than in a normal blood. The more growth factors present during healing, the quicker a wound heals.

Once your dental surgery is completed, the resulting PRP is applied in a thick layer at the site of surgical wound. This accelerates healing processes and protects it from bacterial infection.

Having said that, depending on site of application, expertise, and body conditions, some PRP gels can be further enhanced by mixing of the concentrated plasma with thrombin or even calcium chloride.

Uses of PRP in dentistry

The use of PRP therapy in regenerative dentistry has gained unprecedented attention in recent years, where its application has been used to promote healing in numerous dental and oral surgery procedures like tooth implants and extraction, bone grafting, ridge augmentations, ablative surgical procedures, mandibular reconstruction, periodontal defect treatment, surgical repair of the alveolar cleft, and many more. Irrespective of dental procedure, PRP in the field of dentistry can accelerate healing and pave way for the regeneration of damaged tissues at a faster rate.

Benefits of PRP in dentistry

Just like in most other fields, what PRP essentially does is to speed up healing processes after surgery. In the field of dentistry, PRP therapy comes with numerous benefits. Some of them include:

PRP therapy helps your surgical wounds to heal faster. This is because PRP contains more amounts of growth factors than your normal blood. As such, it allows tissues to heal and regenerate at a faster rate. This means even faster healing after your dental extractions or implants.

PRP is completely safe to use. Since it is derived from your own blood, there’s no risk of having an allergy or immune reaction after its administration.

It is easy and convenient to perform, as PRP is made from your own blood. And can be applied right after surgery.

It helps lessen pain and post-surgery swellings.

It can lower your risk of infection after surgery. This is because the concentrated platelets that make up PRP are usually your body’s first line of defense against pathogenic microorganisms. The platelets are able to fight pathogenic infection by the secretion of a broad range of peptides.

Since PRP can lessen pains and swellings, it can help reduce your reliance on painkillers, which can be detrimental to one’s health on a long-term.

It can help lower the occurrence of dry socket (alveolar osteitis), which is a painful condition that may occur after having a permanent adult tooth removed. In most cases, a dry socket will go on to heal on its own, but with PRP, the chance of occurrence is reduced significantly.

Risks of PRP therapy

PRP is a low-risk procedure, and thus, it’s completely safe to use. Since it is a product of your own blood, there’s no risk of allergies, disease transmission, or even immune reactions. However, some downsides worth mentioning include the ability to potentially interact with tumor cells that remain in the recipient site of a surgical wound. Of course, this can be attributed to the over-expression of growth factors in PRP therapy.

Conclusion

It is no coincidence that platelet-rich plasma therapy is making waves across several health fields, including dentistry. This low-cost, safe, and effective therapy, provides patients with the chance to heal and have their tissues regenerate at a faster rate after dental procedures and oral surgeries. Apart from accelerating healing, PRP in dentistry can lessen pain and swellings, reduce the risk of post-surgery infection, and prevent popular conditions like a dry socket.

Having said that, PRP should only be performed under the supervision of a certified healthcare professional. As such, you should consult with one to determine whether it is a procedure you can undergo.

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