A Biologic Approach to Elevated Healing: Using Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF)

By Dr. Irene Shuman 

Oral surgery recovery is shaped by more than the procedure itself. What happens in the days and weeks after treatment, how quickly tissues repair, how much swelling develops, and how comfortably healing progresses, can significantly influence overall outcomes. To improve this phase of recovery, modern oral surgery increasingly relies on biologically driven techniques that work with the body rather than around it. One of the most effective of these is Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF), a natural regenerative material that enhances healing after procedures such as tooth extractions, bone grafting, and dental implant placement.

At Bergen Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, PRF is used as part of a biologic, evidence-based approach to improve predictability, comfort, and long-term success.

Key Takeaways:

• PRF is created using the patient’s own blood, making it fully natural and biocompatible
• It concentrates key healing components like platelets, leukocytes, and growth factors
• These biologic elements help accelerate tissue repair and bone regeneration
• PRF supports more predictable healing outcomes across a range of oral surgery procedures
• It is commonly used to improve comfort, reduce complications, and enhance recovery efficiency
• The approach aligns with modern regenerative medicine principles in oral surgery

What Is Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF)?

Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) is a regenerative material created using a patient’s own blood. A small blood sample is drawn and spun in a centrifuge, separating it into layers. One of these layers forms a fibrin-rich matrix concentrated with healing components.

This natural scaffold contains:

Platelets: Blood cells that initiate clotting and release growth factors that trigger and accelerate tissue repair

Leukocytes: White blood cells

Cytokines: cell-signaling proteins that help regulate inflammation and coordinate the healing response

Growth factors such as:

• PDGF (Platelet-Derived Growth Factor): stimulates cell growth and tissue repair
• TGF-β (Transforming Growth Factor Beta): supports bone and soft tissue regeneration and regulates healing activity
• VEGF (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor): promotes the formation of new blood vessels to supply healing tissue
• EGF (Epidermal Growth Factor): encourages skin and soft tissue cell growth and wound closure

These components play a critical role in the body’s repair process. Rather than introducing synthetic substances, PRF uses the body’s own biologic material to stimulate and enhance healing where it is needed most.

How PRF Enhances the Body’s Healing Process

PRF works by amplifying the body’s natural regenerative signals at the surgical site.

Angiogenesis: Building New Blood Supply

A key part of healing is restoring blood flow. PRF encourages the formation of new blood vessels, allowing oxygen, nutrients, and healing cells to reach damaged tissue more efficiently.

Cell Migration and Regeneration

Healing depends on specialized cells traveling to the area of the injury. PRF helps attract these cells and supports their ability to multiply, strengthening tissue repair.

Tissue Repair and Remodeling

Over time, PRF supports the regeneration of both soft tissue and bone. This helps restore structure, function, and stability after surgical procedures.

In simple terms, PRF acts as a biological accelerator, helping the body organize and complete its natural healing process more efficiently.

Why Bergen Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Uses PRF

At Bergen Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, PRF is part of a broader commitment to biologically based, evidence-driven care.

With a team of dual-degree oral surgeons (DDS and MD), the practice integrates medical and dental expertise to optimize surgical outcomes. PRF fits naturally into this philosophy by:

• Enhancing healing without synthetic additives
• Supporting more predictable recovery patterns
• Improving surgical site stability
• Aligning with regenerative treatment principles

This approach is especially valuable in complex procedures where bone and soft tissue regeneration are critical.

Clinical Applications of PRF in Oral Surgery

PRF is commonly used across several oral surgery procedures where healing quality directly impacts outcomes.

Tooth Extractions (Including Wisdom Teeth)

After extractions, PRF can:

• Reduce inflammation
• Support faster soft tissue closure
• Lower the risk of complications such as dry socket

Dental Implant Placement

For implant procedures, PRF

• Enhances bone integration
• Supports implant stability
• Improves long-term success predictability

Bone Grafting Procedures

When bone volume needs to be restored, PRF:

• Encourages new bone formation
• Improves graft integration
• Strengthens the surgical foundation for future restorations

Patient Benefits of PRF

Patients who receive PRF often experience a noticeably improved recovery process.

Common benefits include:

• Faster overall healing
• Reduced swelling and discomfort
• Lower risk of infection or complications
• Improved quality of healed tissue
• A more predictable recovery timeline

Because PRF enhances the body’s own biology, results tend to be both natural and consistent

PRF vs. Traditional Healing

While the body is always capable of healing on its own, PRF helps optimize the conditions for that healing to occur more efficiently.

How PRF Supports Referring Providers

For referring dentists and restoration specialists, PRF can significantly improve downstream treatment outcomes.

Benefits include:

• Stronger bone quality for implant placement
• Improved soft tissue healing at surgical sites
• More predictable restorative planning
• Increased long-term stability of prosthetic work

By improving the surgical foundation, PRF helps support more reliable restorative success.

Learn more about Care Esthetics® Services. 

Advancing Oral Surgery Through Biological Healing at Bergen Oral Surgery

Healing is not a passive process, it is an active biological sequence that can be supported and optimized.

Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) represents a meaningful advancement in oral surgery by using the body’s own regenerative capacity to enhance recovery. It supports faster healing, reduces complications, and improves the predictability of surgical outcomes.

At Bergen Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, PRF is part of a broader commitment to advanced, biologically driven care led by dual-degree oral surgeons who integrate medical and dental expertise into every phase of treatment.

For patients, this means a more comfortable recovery.

For providers, it means more predictable results.

For outcomes, it means healing elevated by biology.

Platelet-Rich Fibrin (FAQ)

Is PRF Safe?

Yes. PRF is created from the patient’s own blood, making it completely natural and biocompatible without synthetic additives.

Does PRF Reduce Pain After Oral Surgery?

Many patients experience reduced discomfort and swelling due to improved biological healing at the surgical site.

Is PRF Used for All Oral Surgery Procedures?

It is commonly used in extractions, implants, and bone grafting, but its use depends on the clinical needs of each case.

How Is PRF Different From PRP?

PRF forms a fibrin matrix that releases growth factors more slowly over time, supporting extended healing benefits compared to PRP.

Does PRF Improve Dental Implant Success?

PRF can enhance bone regeneration and integration, which supports more stable and predictable implant outcomes.