PRP – For Accelerated Healing Of Dental Implant Procedures

This is a great report on the use of PRP (Platelet-rich plasma) for dental implants and bone grafting.  The author referenced is an expert on the topic.  He has the same credentials in implant dentistry as I do, which is the highest achievable.  We both carry the prestigious title: Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology /Implant Dentistry.

I also use PRP in my office and have had similar great sucess. I especially like the part about how it was used by an NFL team! Read this post to learn more about PRP.

SOURCE American Academy of Implant Dentistry

An exciting treatment gaining acceptance in orthopedics and sports medicine, called platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP), is showing strong potential for accelerated healing of dental implant procedures, according to a prominent dental researcher and editor of the Journal of Oral Implantology.

James Rutkowski, DMD, PhD, reported at the recent annual scientific meeting of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry that platelet-rich plasma therapy can accelerate bone and tissue growth and wound healing and help assure long-term success of dental implant placements.

"What could be better than using the body's own regenerative powers to grow bone and soft tissue safely and quickly? For dental implant procedures, PRP treatments can jump start bone growth and implant adherence in just two weeks, which cuts down the time between implant placement and affixing the permanent crown," said Rutkowski.

Platelet-rich plasma is obtained from a small sample of the patient's own blood. It is centrifuged to separate platelet growth factors from red blood cells. The concentration of platelets triggers rapid growth of new bone and soft tissue. "There is very little risk because we are accelerating the natural process in which the body heals itself," said Rutkowski. "PRP speeds up the healing process at the cellular level, and there is virtually no risk for allergic reaction or rejection because we use the patient's own blood."

Rutkowski noted that some orthopedic physicians have been using PRP with success for painful and hard to treat injuries like tennis elbow, tendonitis and ligament damage. An avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan, Rutkowski couldn't resist mentioning that PRP was used in 2009 pre-game Super Bowl treatment for two Steeler players (Heinz Ward and Troy Polamalo), and both were instrumental in the team winning its 6th Super Bowl.

For dental surgery applications, Rutkowski explained that PRP is mixed as a gel


that can be applied directly in tooth sockets and other sites. It also is effective in cases when bone grafts are required to foster proper bone integration for implants. Growth factors in PRP preparations help the grafts bond faster with the patient's own bone. Rutkowski reported that in one of his studies there was increased radiographic bone density during the initial two weeks following PRP treatment when compared to sites that did not receive PRP treatment.

"Accelerated healing is a goal we've been seeking in implant dentistry and we now have treatment that activates the natural healing process. It is a very promising development for implant dentistry," explained Rutkowski. He estimates that about 10 percent of practicing implant dentists have used PRP treatment and predicts it will become more common as more studies are performed.

5 thoughts on “PRP – For Accelerated Healing Of Dental Implant Procedures”

  1. I am looking for a training in California for PRP and PPP therapy for implants and bone grafting.
    Do you know who could do that or if you are doing personal training

    Thanks Dr Lemay , Palm Springs Ca

    760-485-0585

    Reply
    • Hi Bruno,

      I do teach surgical courses to other dentists. I will keep you on the list for the next offerings! Try the AAID too.

      Ramsey A. Amin, D.D.S.
      Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology /Implant Dentistry
      Fellow-American Academy of Implant Dentistry
      Burbank, CA

      Reply
  2. Hi Allan,
    Making PRP is bit complex but here are the details of one way I make it! There is another method I use too.
    I use PRP for dental implants and complex bone grafting in my office in Burbank, Ca.
    Use a blood-collection kit to draw
    blood directly into 6 yellow-topped
    Vacu-Tubes, using at least a 19-gauge
    needle. Gently rock each
    tube back and forth to incorporate the
    whole blood and ACD. Place the 6
    tubes into the centrifuge and spin
    them for 10 minutes.
    If I am planning on intravenous
    (IV) sedation, I may draw the whole
    blood through a 17- or 18-gauge butterfly
    needle into a 60-mL syringe.
    First, draw 8 mL of ACD into the 60-
    mL syringe. Next, using standard venous
    blood collection techniques, draw
    approximately 52 mL of whole blood
    into the 60-mL syringe. Attach the
    butterfly to the IV line. Release the arm
    tourniquet/blood pressure cuff and
    start the IV solution flowing. After
    rocking the 60-mL syringe gently back
    and forth to mix the anticoagulant and
    the whole blood, place 9 mL of the
    whole blood, with ACD, into the 6 10-
    mL red-topped Vacu-Tubes (redtopped
    to indicate that there are no additives
    in the tube). The tubes are
    placed into the centrifuge and spun for
    a total of 11 minutes.
    Using a 30-mL syringe with a sterile
    16-gauge blunt catheter, draw off
    the PPP from each Vacu-Tube by placing
    the 16-gauge catheter in the yellow
    top layer, leaving approximately 0.8
    mL of the fluid.
    Next, using the same blunt 16-gauge catheter attached
    to a 10-mL syringe, draw off approximately
    1.2 mL from the top of the
    remaining fluid in each tube.
    This will be composed of approximately
    0.8 mL of PPP, the platelets, the cytoplasmic
    granules, and approximately
    0.3 mL of the very top of the RBCs. This will yield a total of 6
    to 7 mL of fluid in the 10-mL syringe
    harvested from the 6 Vacu-Tubes.
    This is PRP! This is probably too much detail, but I hope this helps!
    Ramsey A. Amin, D.D.S.
    Diplomate of the American Board of Oral Implantology /Implant Dentistry
    Fellow-American Academy of Implant Dentistry
    Website ~ https://www.burbankdentalimplants.com
    Visit My Blog ~ http://www.dentalimplantdentistryblog.com

    Reply
  3. Hello
    Currently I have a full top denture and after 40years the upper front bone loss prevents implants. I will need the bone graft. Im considering the BMP method, but since discovered the PRP method. Would you mind explaining the complete PRP process.
    DOes it replace the surgery or ??
    Thank you

    Reply
  4. I do agree that it is best if we can utilize fully body’s regenerative powers for healing. This is quite an informative posting.

    Reply

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