PLATELET RICH PLASMA
What is Platelet Rich Plasma?
Technology is constantly evolving, including in the world of periodontology. Platelet Rich Plasma, also known as PRP, is something that’s been confined to a hospital environment until very recently. Why? Because PRP, which is a by-product of blood that is very rich in platelets, was incredibly expensive to separate. Not only did it cost a lot of money to separate the platelets from the blood, a lot of blood was necessary to get enough platelets.
Great News: New technology has made PRP much more accessible. The latest technology allows us to harvest and create the amount of platelets a person would need from a very small amount of blood (just 30ml of blood via syringe), almost the same amount when you are doing your blood work. Out of 30mL of your blood, we can harvest 3mL of PRP and inject it into the surgical area to accelerate healing & regeneration.
Why PRP is Important
PRP is so exciting because it allows your body to utilize normal healing pathways at a much faster rate. Especially after surgery, the ability to speed up healing is incredibly valuable.
When the body is healing, it sends all types of cells and cell types to start the healing process. One of these cell types is the platelet. The platelet is vital because it performs many functions, such as:
- Forming blood clots
- Releasing GF (growth factors) directly into the area that needs healing. Growth factors help the body heal and repair by stimulating stem cells to do regenerate new tissues.
Another reason we are so passionate about PRP is because it releases BMP. Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) is part of the TGF family and, according to research on both humans and animals, has been shown to help in bone formation. This is important because in oral surgery, we want to help induce bone formation to have you heal and get better faster.
When we use PRP during oral surgery, it activates the release of BMP. When this BMP is released to the area in need of healing, where a patient had surgery, it goes to the implant site and lets the surgeon grow bone quicker and even more predictable than has ever been possible.
What are the Advantages of Using PRP?
PRP has many advantages and benefits, such as:
- Safety: The #1 thing we care about at Poway Perio is the safety of our patients. One reason we’re passionate about PRP is because of how safe it is. PRP is generated with blood from the patient themself. Because of this, there is no need to worry about disease transmission or other concerns. It’s from the patient, directly back to the patient.
- Easy Process: PRP is a very easy-to-handle process. PRP actually improves the application process because it makes the bone grafting products and substitute materials used in surgeries more gel-like.
- Sped Up Healing: Everyone wants to get healthier faster. As briefly explained above, PRP activates more GR (growth factors) being sent to the area in need of healing. The growth factors regenerate tissue; the more that get sent, the faster a patient heals.
- Cost: PRP is very cost effective. It only takes a small amount of blood (55 c), which can be taken while the patient is in surgery), there’s no expensive costs of going to a hospital for a PRP harvesting procedure or blood bank.
Frequently Asked Questions About
Platelet Rich Plasma
What are concerns you may have about PRP?
This is a very unique process and one most people don’t know much about; it’s understandable to have some concerns and/or questions. Here are some frequently asked questions regarding PRP.
Is PRP need in every bone grafting or oral surgery situation?
No, we don’t recommend PRP for everyone. In most cases, we would suggest PRP though because it will help the graft heal faster and grow more effectively and efficiently.
How safe is PRP?
PRP is very safe. We simply draw out a small amount of blood during the outpatient surgery (30 mL of blood) using a syringe. After, the blood is placed in a PRP centrifuge machine. This machine spins the blood down and, in less than a mere 15 minutes, the PRP is totally formed and ready for us to use.
Do insurance companies cover PRP costs?
Sometimes insurance companies will cover costs of PRP because it may be covered as a biological material. It depends on your unique situation and insurance; this is something we’re happy to discuss.
Is anything else other than PRP needed to stimulate bone formation?
Yes. Though PRP is very valuable, some of the patient’s own bone, a bone substitute or synthetic bone product is needed to mix with the PRP in order to stimulate the formation of bone.
Is there anyone you recommend to not do PRP?
Most patients are good candidates for PRP however, if you have any type of bleeding disorder or hematologic disease, then you would not qualify to go through PRP in our office. We’re happy to talk to any patient interested in PRP.
In what scenarios would PRP be helpful?
There are many clinical applications for getting PRP. It can be helpful to have PRP to help speed up healing after:
- Bone grafting for dental implants
- Repairing bone defects
- Repairing fistulas (those between the mouth and the sinus cavity)
Ready to learn more & book a consultation?
Here at Poway Perio, under the experience of Dr. Alireza Khansari MSD, we are happy to help you fight periodontal disease and get your teeth and gums back to good health. If you have more questions or would like to book a consultation, we’re happy to discuss your individual situation.
Or, give us a call at 858.679.0142
