PRF Therapy
Your body's own healing capacity, concentrated.
Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a healing accelerator made from a small sample of your own blood. We use it routinely with extractions, implants, and bone grafting, for smoother recovery and better tissue regeneration.
The basics
Understanding PRF
Platelet-rich fibrin is exactly what its name suggests: a concentrated, fibrous clot rich in platelets and growth factors, prepared from your own blood. It is not a medication or a synthetic. It is you, concentrated and delivered to where you need it most.
The biology behind it is straightforward. When you cut yourself, your body sends platelets to the site to start the healing process. Platelets release growth factors. These are proteins that signal nearby cells to repair tissue, regenerate bone, fight infection, and rebuild blood supply. PRF takes the platelets and growth factors that would normally arrive at a surgical site over the course of days, concentrates them, and delivers them all at once.
The result: healing happens more smoothly and more completely.
How we use PRF
Where PRF helps in dental surgery
Our most common use
With extraction, immediate implant placement, and bone grafting.
When Dr. Jackson extracts a tooth and places an implant in the same surgery (possible in approximately 85% of cases where an extraction is being replaced with an implant), PRF is incorporated along with bone graft material around the implant. This combined approach produces excellent healing, supports integration of the implant with the surrounding bone, and significantly reduces post-procedure discomfort.
With extractions alone.
When an immediate implant is not being placed, PRF placed in the extraction socket preserves bone, reduces post-procedure pain and swelling, and lowers the risk of dry socket — a painful complication where the protective blood clot is lost prematurely.
With bone grafts.
PRF mixed with bone graft material acts as a biological "glue." It improves graft handling, supports new bone formation, and produces more predictable graft outcomes.
With All-on-X surgery.
Full-arch cases involve significant surgical care: multiple extractions, multiple implants, and often grafting. PRF meaningfully improves the recovery experience and the long-term outcome.
The process
Start to finish in your appointment
Making PRF is straightforward and happens in the office during your appointment:
- 1
A small blood draw.
We draw a small amount of your blood from your arm, similar to a routine blood test but much smaller in volume.
- 2
Centrifugation.
The blood goes into our horizontal centrifuge, which spins at a precise speed for several minutes. The horizontal orientation produces vertically stacked layers in the tubes. Red blood cells settle at the bottom, plasma rises to the top, and a fibrin-rich clot forms in the middle.
- 3
The PRF is harvested.
We extract the fibrin-rich layer, which has the consistency of a soft, pliable membrane, easy to place, shape, or mix with bone graft material.
- 4
PRF is placed at the surgical site.
Depending on the procedure, we place the PRF directly into a socket, layer it with bone graft material, or use it as a membrane to cover and protect the surgical area.
The PRF preparation takes about 15 minutes and happens during the procedure itself. No additional appointment is required.
Benefits
What PRF means for your recovery
- Smoother healing at the surgical site, typically more comfortable than the same procedure without PRF
- Less pain and swelling post-procedure
- Reduced risk of complications like dry socket and infection
- Improved tissue regeneration in both bone and soft tissue, which heal more completely
- No foreign material of any kind. PRF is made entirely from your own blood
- No risk of rejection because your immune system recognizes PRF as part of you
- No additional appointment needed. PRF is prepared and placed during your existing surgical procedure
For a relatively simple addition to a procedure, the impact on recovery and outcomes is significant.
Frequently asked
Common questions about PRF
Does the blood draw hurt?
It is a routine blood draw, similar to what you would have at a doctor's appointment. Most patients barely notice it.
How much extra time does PRF add to the appointment?
Very little. The blood draw takes a few minutes at the start of your appointment, and the centrifuge then runs for about 15 minutes while the procedure is already under way. No additional appointment is required.
Is PRF safe?
PRF has a strong safety record. Because it is made from your own blood, it does not carry a risk of rejection or of transmitting disease from a donor. The blood draw itself carries the ordinary minor risks of any blood draw, such as brief soreness or bruising at the site. PRF has been used in dentistry and medicine for over two decades.
Will I feel different after PRF?
You may notice less swelling, less pain, and a more comfortable return to normal activities than you would expect after the same procedure without PRF. Otherwise, no. There is no systemic effect.
Is PRF the same as PRP?
PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) is a more advanced version of PRP (platelet-rich plasma). PRF is denser, releases growth factors more gradually, and produces better outcomes for most dental applications. We use PRF specifically.
Does insurance cover PRF?
PRF is typically considered an enhancement to a covered procedure rather than a separately billed item. Coverage varies by case and by insurance plan. We will be transparent about any costs at your consultation.
PRF is part of our standard approach for many oral surgery and implant cases. We will discuss whether it is appropriate for your specific situation at your consultation.