Clinical Uses of Platelet-Rich Fibrin in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Abstract

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is an autogenous material that is derived from a person's own platelets and is used to enhance wound healing and tissue regeneration. Platelet concentrates have been applied in dermatology, pain management, sports medicine, plastic surgery, cardiac surgery, urology, and also dentistry. PRF has garnered significant interest in the dental community because of its proposed regenerative properties and its ability to aid in wound healing. PRF is proposed to have a direct effect on enhancing a patient's wound healing by suprasaturating the wound with growth factors that promote tissue healing. Clinically, PRF is easily produced chairside from the patient's own blood. The autologous nature of PRF makes it preferred over a variety of allografts used in dentistry today. Therefore, PRF has significant potential in being applicable to all areas of dentistry, including oral and maxillofacial surgeries.

Keywords: Blood collection; Platelet-rich fibrin; Platelet-rich plasma.