Dr. Long is very happy to be able to offer PRP therapy in all surgical services at Amazing Smiles at a very nominal fee.
Platelet Rich Plasma or PRP is a by-product of blood that is exceptionally rich in platelets, stem cells, scaffolding, and growth factors. PRP has long been used in hospitals to accelerate the body's own healing process, but it is only recently that advances in technology have allowed this same technique to be used in the dental office.
The blood platelets provide several essential functions in the body, including clot formation and the release of growth factors that help heal wounds. These growth factors stimulate the stem cells to produce new host tissue as quickly as possible, which is why PRP is so effective in the post treatment healing process.
There are several ways in which PRP can be used in dental surgery:
Soft Tissue Grafting: This includes root coverage grafts and tissue augmentation
Bone Grafting: This includes sinus lifts, ridge augmentations, socket grafts, and onlay grafts.
Fistula Repair: This includes the repair of fistulas between the mouth and the sinus cavity.
PRP is now widely used to expedite the post procedure healing process and is completely safe. Since blood used comes from the patients own body, disease transmission is not a factor, Its your own blood. Almost all patients report a much greater degree of comfort immediately after their procedure.
There are several distinct advantages of PRP:
Lower Risk of Infection: PRP is smeared thickly on the wound after the procedure and actually seals the wound away from infectious agents, lowering the risk of problems.
Accelerated Healing: The saturation of the wound with PRP helps increase tissue synthesis due to its growth factors, and this in turn results in faster tissue regeneration. Speedier healing decreases the risk of later infections, complications, and discomfort.
Safety and Convenience: Disease transmission is a non-issue since the blood is harvested from the patient's own blood supply shortly before surgery. The amount of blood needed for most dental procedures is just 20ml (a little more than 4 teaspoons).
You can learn more about the specific system we use at Amazing Smiles from the Harvest Technologies web site here .
If you have any questions regarding how we use PRP in our office, call us at 318-396-0054