Wilmington Oral Surgery now has the technology to use the patient’s own body to help regrow bone and heal faster after a tooth extraction, implant surgery, facial trauma, or illness-related bone loss. This holistic approach eliminates concerns of infection and the risk of graft rejection.
The advanced technologies of platelet rich fibrin (PRF), red light therapy, and dentin autografts can speed recovery and regrow bone faster and to a greater extent. All of these technologies are commonly used in holistic oral surgery by experienced dental surgeons who employ all-natural methods to heal their patients, and they come with great results that speak for themselves. And the best part? It’s all without traditional pain management drugs. There are a number of reasons why patients might want to try holistic pain management following an oral surgery, and pain reduction and speedier healing times for bone and soft tissue is high up on the list.
What is Platelet-Rich Fibrin?
PRF uses the patient’s own blood, spun down in a centrifuge, to separate the platelets, fibrin and red blood cells from each other. They settle in 3 layers, by weight. The PRF, which is the middle layer, is removed and then used to accelerate bone and soft tissue healing. Fibrin serves as a clot that catches a bunch of platelets in the centrifuge and creates the PRF. The other highlight of PRF is the fact that it contains a concentration of growth factors found in blood. As the name sort of implies, growth factors play a huge role in healing the tissue around a surgical site. It stimulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and the formation of brand new blood vessels.
Platelet-rich fibrin has about 10x the platelets compared to normal levels in your blood. Platelets are the third type of blood cell – and they’re where the healing nutrients in our bloodstream lie. It’s what helps wounds clot and tissues regenerate. A PRF mesh applied to the site of a wound gives the area a super-dose of healing compounds and nutrients that boost the body’s ability to regrow damaged jaw bone tissue.
When used for bone grafting, the PRF is combined with the grafting material. This combination is frequently called sticky bone. The PRF concentrates important growth factors, which are slowly released over one to two weeks. Additionally, white blood cells are also concentrated in PRF. These cells help minimize the risk of infection at the surgical site. Platelet-rich fibrin treatments have been shown to speed recovery times and increase long-term success rates of oral surgeries. PRF treatments can also be used to augment soft tissue following surgeries for speedier healing times. And that’s not to mention all of the non-dental applications it has. Skin ulcers, severe burns, and more can all be treated with platelet-rich fibrin. And best of all, it’s one of the most affordable holistic treatments following an oral surgery—after all, it’s using your own blood, and the preparation couldn’t be any easier.
What is Red Light Therapy?
Red light therapy seems like it might be snake oil at first glance, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Red light therapy is an FDA-approved holistic treatment for mouth surgeries and more that makes use of red and near-infrared light. Prolonged exposure to these kinds of lights facilitates healing by lowering inflammation, and it has the unique ability to promote bone and soft tissue healing at operation sites. It even has its benefits in treating dry socket.
Red light therapy sessions are completed in intervals of anywhere from 5-20 minutes depending on what your dental surgeon offering holistic treatments decides. And the actual process couldn’t be easier. Basically, you’re handed a pair of chic sunglasses that protects your eyes from the near-infrared light. The light is positioned next to you right around the surgical site where it’s able to take effect, and the lights are then turned on. And… that’s it. Simple, right? It’s kind of like going into a tanning room, but this is actually healthy for you instead. While the light hits the area in question, it stimulates your mitochondria to produce extra energy to aid your body in healing.
What is Dentin Autografting?
Did you know that there are even holistic treatments for dental bone grafting? When a patient needs a bone graft, the patient’s own bone is the best source of the graft. There’s minimal risk of rejection and no risk of contagion. However, this requires an initial surgery to harvest the bone tissue, which causes additional pain and another wound for your body to send healing resources to. Dentin autografting is a different kind of dental autograft that doesn’t call for a separate surgical site to harvest material.
Dentin autografting uses the patient’s extracted tooth as the bone grafting material. Most teeth can be used for dentin grafting. Once the tooth is removed it is cleaned and any fillings or cavities are removed. If the tooth has had a root canal, it cannot be used for dentin grafting. The tooth is then prepared into small particles and cleansed.
The dentin graft is ready for use in about ten minutes. Dentin and bone have very similar composition, and viable cells are present in the graft, making it an optimal grafting material for oral use. If future jaw grafts might be needed, any extra grafting material can be treated and stored for future use. Dentin grafting is a superior method to previous ones, and it’s a way to avoid having bone removed from somewhere else in your body to make the graft.
What about the tooth that was extracted to obtain the dentin autograft? Well, an experienced dental doctor who treats patients holistically can preserve the socket by making use of the extra dentin graft. The dentin grafting is placed in the empty socket where the tooth once was, and the dentin prevents further bone loss and maintains the integrity of the jawbone until it’s ready for an implant. Not only is it a completely natural way of treating oral surgeries, but it’s wildly sustainable with the number of applications it can have even with future procedures.
Dentin autografting has a number of benefits associated with it:
- Improved bone quality – dentin autografts can aid in all-natural dental implant surgery by helping the bone integration process.
- Quicker healing – because your holistic oral surgeon is using material from your own body, dentin autografts promote faster and more reliable bone regeneration.
- Reduced complications – dentin autografts have a lower risk of infection compared to other materials.
Holistic Healing for the Benefit of Our Oral Surgery Patients
Both PRF and dentin autografting use a patient’s own cells to promote healing. They’re the perfect mix of natural healing methods and leading-edge dental surgery tech. Wilmington Oral Surgery remains committed to compassionate excellence and a patient-centered philosophy. We’re focused on maximizing the results of your oral surgery while minimizing pain, discomfort and recovery time.
