PRP and PRF Therapy

As newfound knowledge regarding how the human body works as it is healing comes to light, scientists and researchers develop all kinds of ways to use that knowledge to make medical care more practical and safe for patients. Perhaps there is no greater treatment that exemplifies this fact like PRP therapy. At the office  Dr. Matt Henry in Jacksonville, FL, we are always working hard to tweak our dental services to include the latest in treatment technology. Therefore, we do offer PRP and PRF therapy to our patients who could benefit from the procedure.

PRP Injection Therapy Explained

PRP injection therapy is a method used in modern-day medicine that utilizes blood platelets from a patient’s own blood supply to create a rich, supportive atmosphere for healing at a site where faster healing is important. To perform PRP therapy, a practitioner will collect a blood sample from the patient, and put that harvested blood through a coagulation process in a centrifugal system to separate the rich platelets from the other matter. Certain additives are used to encourage a clot of platelets to form, and that collected clot is then placed in the area where the work has been performed. The advantages of PRP therapy include:

• Potentially faster healing times for patients
• Lowered risks of infection after serious dental procedures due to faster healing times
• The therapy utilizes the body’s own platelets to encourage healing in a more natural way

While many patients can reap the benefits of PRP therapy, certain individuals do benefit the most. For example, elderly patients who may have slower healing rates after something like a bone grafting procedure can usually see healing times reduced. Another advantage worth mentioning with PRP therapy is that the amount of blood that has to be taken from the patient initially is very small, so the therapy is not considered in any way invasive or uncomfortable for the patient. In fact, the majority of patients know little more about what is taking place, where the pain is concerned, other than having to give a small blood sample before the procedure.

The Role of PRP Injections in Modern-Day Dental Treatments

PRP can actually prove to be advantageous in a lot of different types of clinical dentistry treatment, and some of the most well-qualified dentists are now using this treatment as a form of adjunctive therapy for certain procedures. Medical practitioners have relied on PRP therapy for several types of serious treatment and surgical procedures for a while, but PRP is only more recently making its way into dental medicine. Some of the most common procedures in which PRP injections can be helpful are described below.

Bone Grafting – Bone grafting is a procedure a patient will undergo before obtaining dental implants if they do not have a substantial amount of bone in their jawline to anchor an implant to. While bone grafting is considered a highly effective solution, this procedure alone can involve a long healing time, especially for older patients. PRP injections may be used to help aid and quicken the healing process after bone grafting is performed as a precursor to dental implant procedures.

Extractions – Extractions, especially when they involve several teeth or larger teeth, can cause damage to the underlying bone structures in the jawline. The best practitioner will work to correct any deviations in bone structure due to the extraction from the time they pull the tooth. In some cases, PRP injections may be used to help with the healing process if an extraction was more intrusive.

Bone Repair – Bone repair can be a necessary part of maxillofacial surgery after trauma caused by an accident or due to a defect. For example, if a patient has sustained a blow to the side of their jaw and it has caused damage to the jawbones, bone repair may be necessary. PRP injections can be used on some patients to help promote the healing process and shorten recovery times after bone correction surgery in these instances.

The Difference Between PRP and PRF Therapy

PRP and PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) are actually two forms of platelet-rich plasma treatment that involve some of the same processes and are quite similar in nature, but PRF is a bit more simplified in form. Without getting into the real specifics and complexities of medical science, PRF is performed without the use of added coagulants to cause a fibrin clot to form and does not involve utilizing the same additives that are used with PRP harvesting processes. While both PRP and PRF injections are used in dental settings, PRF is often the most preferable form of treatment due to the simplicity of the procedure. Both PRP and PRF therapy offer the same lists of advantages for patients, including potential faster healing times and a lowered risk of infection.

Let’s Talk About PRP Injections in Jacksonville, FL

Overall, both PRP injection therapy and PRF therapy can be a valuable part of your oral health care routine, but not every dentist offers this relatively modern form of adjunctive therapy with treatment. If you are interested in learning more about PRP or PRF therapy or feel you could be a good candidate for PRP with a certain procedure, please reach out to us at the office of Dr. Matt Henry in Jacksonville, FL to learn more about what we have to offer.