Platelet-rich Fibrin (PRF) is a component of your own blood. It is produced by taking a blood sample and spinning the blood in a centrifuge at a specific speed. The PRF can then be used to promote healing in various parts of your body, including your mouth. PRF contains platelets but also growth factors. It can promote healing in a socket after an extraction. The patient will heal faster without as much pain. This is especially wonderful after wisdom teeth surgery. PRF is often used to soak prosthetic bone that is used to prepare the site for an implant. It helps the bone to heal and vascularize and adds with osteointegration around the implant. I often have patients that have lost bone around lower anterior teeth and they have become loose. Platelet-rich fibrin injected around these teeth may promote new bone growth and fix this problem.
Dentistry has never been more exciting and I'm looking for more and more uses for this miracle healer in my practice!
Todd B. Huffaker, DDS