Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) speeds healing after tooth extraction, including wisdom tooth extraction, according to a study published in the Journal of Oral Implantology. The study showed that using PRP can speed the formation of jaw bone, which results in faster healing time.
After tooth extraction, bone formation typically takes 16 weeks. Poor healing can result in excessive jaw bone loss that may require expensive reconstructive surgery or it may be impossible to repair. This study has shown the effectiveness of PRP for improving bone formation during the postoperative weeks.
The study included patients who had wisdom teeth extracted through surgery. One extraction site was treated with PRP while the other site wasn't. During the 24-week follow-up, patients were checked for jaw bone density, healing, bleeding, inflammation, pain and facial swelling. The site treated with PRP showed a positive outcome for bone density levels while the site not treated showed a decrease in bone density in the first week after surgery.
The greatest benefit of the PRP occurred during the initial two-week postoperative healing time, which is of clinical relevance because those first two weeks following tooth extraction are the most important. Weeks three through 12 also showed significant increases in bone density when using PRP.
According to the study, it took approximately six weeks for the site not treated with PRP to reach the same bone density level as the site treated with PRP. However, PRP had little effect on inflammation, bleeding, pain and facial swelling. Using PRP to promote faster healing may also reduce the need for dental prosthetics or implants.
