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Is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Beneficial for your Case?
What Is Platelet Rich Plasma?
Platelet Rich Plasma is a substance taken from your own blood and used to encourage faster healing after dental or oral surgery. Plasma is the liquid component of your blood in which the red and white blood cells are suspended. This protein rich fluid contains powerful antibodies and fibrinogen that enhance your body’s natural healing process.
Until recently, extracting platelet rich plasma required large amounts of blood and expensive equipment inside a hospital. New advances in technology now permit Nu Image Surgical Center to harvest PRP from as little as 25 cc of your blood to use during your outpatient surgery.
Our doctors use a centrifuge to separate the plasma component out from a sample of your blood drawn the day of your procedure. The plasma is the mixed with thrombin and calcium chloride to form a gel.
How PRP benefits you
During surgery your body’s natural healing processes are triggered. This causes a variety of cell types to flood into the wound to begin repairing your damaged tissues. PRP takes advantage of this process and speeds up the delivery of the platelets to the area. It causes platelet derived growth factors to speed up the process of stem cell replication that drives the healing process. Introducing PRP to the wound site makes more stem cells respond more quickly and results in faster natural healing and faster recovery from your outpatient surgery.
Clinical Applications of PRP
- Bone grafting for dental implants. This includes onlay and inlay grafts, sinus lift procedures, ridge augmentation procedures, and closure of cleft, lip and palate defects
- Repair of bone defects created by removal of teeth or small cysts
- Repair of fistulas between the sinus cavity and mouth
Advantages of PRP For The Patient
Your blood contains platelets that are essential to your body’s natural healing mechanisms. Whenever an injury occurs they rush to the site of the wound and release powerful proteins that stimulate tissue growth and cellular repair. Harvesting these protein rich platelets from a small amount of your blood, about 25 cc, allows doctors to treat the wound site with a super saturation of the PRP gel to promote faster healing and recovery.
- TGF-ß- this increases the growth of musculoskeletal connective tissues
- PDGF-attracts stem cells to the surgical site
- Epidermal growth factors to stimulate the growth of connective tissues
- Vascular and fibroblast growth factors to increase oxygen and nutrient flow to surgical site
Benefits of PRP:
Using PRP benefits our patients with greatly enhanced healing and recovery times and faster bone growth when grafts are needed. In comparison to the way the process worked in the past, our patients experience real advantages in safety, convenience and cost. Instead of going to hospital for treatment, our doctors can draw a small sample of your blood here in the office.
We’ll spin it in the centrifuge to extract the platelet rich plasma and use it to enhance the healing process during your procedure. You avoid the risk of disease transmission because your own blood cells are used to make PRP.
The benefits are real; increased safety, convenience and reduced costs. Now you only need one office visit instead of trips to the hospital and Nu Image Surgical Center for your procedure. To learn more about PRP advantages for you, please call our office at (919) 841-1720 today.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you would like to know more about Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) these frequently asked questions may help you. If you have a specific question not covered here or need more information our office will be glad to help you. Just call (919) 841-1720 and ask for a Patient Care Coordinator.
What is PRP?
Platelet Rich Plasma is an innovative therapy for tissue regeneration. A valuable tool to promote faster healing, it is especially useful in procedures involving aging patients undergoing dental and oral surgery.
How does it work?
The patient’s blood is centrifuged to separate out plasma containing growth factors known to promote healing. The PRP is combined with thrombin and calcium chloride to produce a gel which is administered during the surgery to promote faster healing.
How can PRP help me recover from surgery?
PRP is beneficial because it reduces bleeding and promotes soft tissue and bone regeneration.
How safe is PRP?
Is PRP used for all bone-grafting procedures?
Not in every case. Sometimes a patient won’t need it but it is helpful in most procedures because it increases bone growth and makes healing quicker.
Does insurance pay for PRP?
Not at present. Patients are responsible for the minimal ($400) cost of PRP.
Does PRP stimulate bone formation by itself?
PRP must be mixed with the patient’s bone or a bone substitute to be effective.
Are there any side effects or contraindications with PRP?
There are few known contraindications from PRP use. People with bleeding issues or blood diseases can’t qualify for in-office PRP treatments. Your surgeon will determine if PRP treatment is right for your condition
L-PRF
Nu Image now incorporates the use of L-PRF in surgical cases. L-PRF, Leukocyte-Platelet Rich Fibrin, is a 3-D autogenous combination of Platelet Rich Fibrin derived from the patient’s blood. This natural fibrin network is rich in platelets, growth factors and cytokines that are derived from the blood platelets and leukocytes. The presence of these proteins have been reported to produce rapid healing, especially during the critical first seven days after placement. This network promotes more efficient cell migration and proliferation without chemical or bovine thrombin additives. With use of L-PRF, we can provide our patients with faster healing and improved results!
TRIOS Intraoral Scanner
TRIOS makes scanning fast and easy for dentists and assistants ensuring optimal comfort for patients and reduced chair time. Ensure optimal treatment results for your patients. 3Shape TRIOS delivers high accuracy on single units, quads and full arch, as documented by several comparative university studies. Create high quality digital impressions in lifelike colors to evaluate treatment and improve patient dialogue.
Options for Edentulus Patients
What is Edentulism?
“An edentulous patient is a patient who is missing all of their teeth.”
There are several clinical and psychological consequences for patients that do not have any teeth:
CLINICAL CONSEQUENCES
Reduced chewing function
Moderate to severe bone loss
Poor fitting dentures
Sore spots
Digestive & nutritional problems
Moderate to severe weight loss
PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES
Pre-mature aging
Less enjoyment of foods
Lowered self-confidence
Socially inhibited
Seldom laugh
Poor self-image
What Options Are Available?
Taking the step toward replacing missing teeth is a big decision. With the latest dental implant technology available today, there has never been a better time for edentulous patients to replace their missing teeth.
During your initial consultation and oral examination, your oral surgeon will thoroughly explain all of the treatment options available for your particular case. Here are some of the options that may be available to you: