In the busy world we live in, post-operative pain following the removal of teeth can be debilitating and interfere with our working, social and home activities. Thankfully, research has shown that application of concentrated growth factors (CGF) from our blood can significantly reduce post-operative pain and accelerate healing after surgery.
Our blood is naturally equipped with cells and growth proteins to deal with injury and initiate healing. Platelets are cells which circulate in our bloodstream and bind together if we have a cut or injury, causing a blood clot and stopping bleeding. A protein called fibrin is then activated to stabilise the clot, while many different growth factor proteins stimulate the body to heal the area.
CGF, also referred to as platelet rich fibrin (PRF), is a concentrated network of these platelets, fibrin and growth proteins. By taking a small amount of your blood and placing it into a special sterile centrifuge we are able to separate and concentrate these important regenerative products. This potent network is then placed directly into the tooth extraction socket to accelerate the healing process.
Many studies have explored the potential of these products to assist in healing across a range of surgical fields, including orthopaedic, plastic and general surgery as well as in dentistry. This research has shown that use of these natural blood derived products significantly reduces post-operative pain and soft tissue healing time.
You can read a recent comprehensive review of the use of CGF in dentistry here for more detailed information on the applications and biological principles of CGF. Feel free to call our practice to speak to one of our dental health professionals if you would like to discuss this topic with us further. We have employed CGF treatment for quite some time at Bowman Dental and have found it very effective in promoting healing in dental procedures where appropriate.
Articles
Borie E, Olivi DG, Orsi IA, Garlet K, Weber B, Beltran V, et al. Platelet-rich fibrin application in dentistry: a literature review. Int J Clin Exp Med 2015;8:7922-7929.
Miron RJ, Fujioka-Kobayashi M, Bishara M, Zhang Y, Hernandaz M, Choukroun J. Platelet-rich fibrin and soft tissue wound healing: a systematic review. Tissue Eng Part B Rev 2017;23:83-99.