Platelet-Rich Fibrin
Allentown, PA
 After you have undergone a surgical procedure, including an oral surgical procedure, your body begins the process of healing itself. The wounds trigger your body to send platelets to the site to stop the bleeding and to heal it. While the body is incredible at healing itself, the mouth does contain a significant number of harmful bacteria that can enter into the surgical sites, causing complications such as infections. At Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, we can help to speed up the healing process, lowering your risk for issues, with platelet-rich fibrin.
Healing With Platelets
Platelets are small cells that reside in the plasma found in your blood. Platelets contain growth factors that are responsible for cell and tissue regeneration following any type of injury, including surgical wounds. When you are injured, the body signals for platelets to be sent to the site, where they immediately begin the process of stopping bleeding and aiding in healing.
What Is Platelet Rich Fibrin?
Platelet-rich fibrin, also called PRF, is a natural product that is used to help speed up the healing process following certain types of oral procedures. One of the most interesting things about PRF is that it is made using your blood. With just a small sample, we can concentrate the platelets in your blood, in addition to other components and molecules. Once we have created PRF, we can then place it over the surgical sites to help expedite the healing process.
Creating Platelet Rich Fibrin
To create PRF, we only need to extract a small sample of your blood. You do not need to worry about attending an additional appointment. Instead, we can draw the sample at the same appointment as your actual procedure. Once we take the sample, we then spin it in a centrifuge, which is located right in the office. The centrifuge spins at high speeds to separate out different parts of your blood. In the center, coagulation begins to occur, creating a fibrin network. This network traps platelets inside. After the centrifuge has stopped spinning, we remove the fibrin network and press it to remove excess liquid, creating PRF. As soon as your procedure is complete, the PRF is placed over the surgical wounds.
What Can We Do With Platelet Rich Fibrin?
PRF has many uses in dentistry, including:| • |
Covering surgical wounds. PRF can aid in speeding up the healing process and reducing your risk of developing an infection.
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Coating dental implants.
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Following a tooth extraction. PRF can be used to cover over the empty socket.
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Covering the roots of teeth affected by gum recession. |
The Benefits of Platelet Rich Fibrin There are some benefits associated with the use of PRF:| • |
You are able to heal faster after a surgical procedure. PRF adds extra platelets to surgical sites, speeding up the process.
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When you heal faster, your risk for developing an infection is greatly reduced.
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You typically experience less pain and swelling.
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PRF can help to preserve more of your natural tissues. |
If you are interested in learning more about platelet rich fibrin, and finding out if this treatment is right for you, call Lehigh Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at (610) 435-6161 today. |
