Platelet Rich Plasma, PRP
What is platelet-rich plasma (PRP)?
Plasma is the liquid part of blood that is made up of mostly water and protein. It allows red and white blood cells to move throughout your bloodstream. Platelets are a type of blood cell that make your blood clot and play an important role in healing. They contain hundreds of proteins called growth factors. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is taken from a patient’s own blood and injected into injured or diseased tissue to promote faster healing by stimulating and increasing the growth of reparative cells that your own body produces. Whereas platelet counts in normal blood range from 150,000/1L to 350,000/1L, platelet-rich plasma has a concentration of at least 1,000,000/1L. This high concentration of platelets is useful in producing cells that are critical to rebuilding tissue, especially bone. It also provides significantly increased vascularity in healing tissue.
How is PRP beneficial to the dental community and what are its applications?
PRP injections have been used for over twenty years in a variety of surgical scenarios. Recently, they have shown to be effective in speeding up healing after oral and maxillofacial procedures. There is also evidence of platelet-rich plasma therapy aiding in periodontal regenerative therapy. The injections can be used in a wide range of procedures, including sinus lift procedures, ridge augmentation procedures, dental implant surgeries, and after tooth extractions or cysts removal to repair bone defects. Dental patients who have received PRP injections report less pain immediately after surgery.
The benefits for patients who take advantages of PRP therapy may include:
- Less pain after surgery
- Mouth tissue that heals better
- Stronger bone structure after bone grafts
- Faster healing after dental implants and teeth removals
- A lower occurrence of dry socket after tooth extraction
