The PRF Difference: Our Cutting-Edge Regenerative Medicine Technique Speeds Healing of Dental Implant

It's easy to take your teeth for granted, and often it's only after you’ve lost one or more that you realize how critical they are to everything from eating to talking to smiling. Fortunately, dental implants can help, and a regenerative medicine technique — platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) — can make healing faster than ever.

The reasons for tooth loss can range from injury or illness to decay. Artificial teeth have been a popular go-to treatment as far back as the Etruscans in the seventh century B.C. The good news is that this process has undergone many evolutions since that time — replacement teeth are no longer from calves, cows, gold, or the lost tooth itself with the root cut off.

At IQ Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, we offer a wide variety of services that include general, cosmetic, and restorative treatments. If you have lost one or more teeth, Dr. Indra Quagliata can determine whether dental implants would be a good replacement option for you.

What are dental implants?

Most people have 32 teeth once they have all come in (28 if the wisdom teeth are removed), yet tooth loss remains a problem. Adults ages 20-64 have an average of just shy of 25 teeth with almost 4% of this age group having no remaining teeth.

Missing teeth can cause problems with chewing, smiling, and even maintaining the shape of your face. Luckily, there are treatment options available like fixed bridges, removable partial dentures, and implants.

Unlike fixed bridges, which are cemented to the teeth next to them, and removable dentures, implants are most like real teeth. In place of the root that a natural tooth employs to attach to the jawbone and remain stable, dental implants use a post, which is made out of titanium and surgically placed in the jawbone.

Dr. Quagliata uses a specialized X-ray called cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to ensure proper placement of the implant. Once the area has healed and the bone has started bonding with the post, implant restoration with a customized tooth, dental crown or bridge, or partial or complete denture can be completed.

What is PRF and how does it help in healing?

Since dental implants involve surgery, it is important for the area to heal as quickly as possible to prevent infection and to allow Dr. Quagliata to complete the implant process. PRF can help.

Blood platelets and growth factors play key roles in your body, creating blood clots and helping heal wounds. The first use of platelet-rich plasma for oral surgery procedures was in 1997. Four years later, platelet-rich fibrin, a new generation of platelet concentrate, was developed.

To create PRF, we draw a small amount of blood and spin it in a centrifuge to separate the platelets. We then form these platelets into a mesh, which we put on the affected area to aid in healing. Since your own blood is used, there is no risk of blood-borne diseases.

While losing one or more teeth can impact your everyday activities, there are a number of treatment options including dental implants with the accompanying PRF therapy to speed healing. Call or click to book an appointment with Dr. Quagliata today and learn how PRF can speed up the process of getting dental implants.