Regenerative Procedures

APRF is a technique used to encourage more rapid healing of your gum and bone tissue after bone graft or implant treatments. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a type of protein found in your blood. To speed up a patient’s healing process the dentist takes a small amount of blood before the treatment begins. A centrifuge is then used to isolate the PRP protein. This protein is used by our bodies as part of the natural healing process to regenerate tissues and repair wounds. This protein is then applied by the dentist to the treatment area to help you benefit from your own natural healing process. Using PRP not only reduces healing times, but also decreases pain and swelling – improving the overall patient experience. Platelet-rich plasma treatment is safe, non-invasive, and non-chemical.

I-PRF is a technique used in bone graft treatment. It is a clinical innovation which allows dental surgeons to obtain a blood concentrate from a patient, containing a very high white blood cell content that coagulates after a few minutes. Applying this concentrate during treatment creates a more solid bone graft which is less likely to cause an adverse reaction in a patient’s body. The use of I-PRF is in its infancy, but already the results in both oral surgery and regenerative medicine are very promising.

GBR is a dental procedure that uses barrier membranes to direct the growth of new bone in order to increase its volume. As part of this technique, crushed artificial bone replacement material is placed into the area of bone loss and covered with an artificial membrane. This technique is often used in conjunction with dental implant treatment. It is not bone grafting as your own bone is not being moved from one site to another. The treatment is focused on the development of the hard and soft tissues around a periodontal attachment. GBR is a reliable and validated procedure.

A sinus lift is surgery that adds bone to your upper jaw in the area of your molars and premolars. It’s sometimes called a sinus augmentation. The bone is added between your jaw and the maxillary sinuses, which are on either side of your nose. To make room for the bone, the sinus membrane has to be moved upward, or “lifted”. A sinus lift is done when there is not enough bone height in the upper jaw, or the sinuses are too close to the jaw, for dental implants to be placed. This can be caused by a number of reasons such as periodontal disease or tooth loss.

The bone used in a sinus lift may come from your own body (autogenous bone), from a cadaver (allogeneic bone) or from cow bone (xenograft). The dental surgeon cuts the gum tissue where a patient’s back teeth used to be. The tissue is raised, exposing the bone. A small, oval window is opened in the bone. The membrane lining the sinus on the other side of the window separates the sinus from the jaw. This membrane is gently pushed up and away from the jaw. Granules of bone-graft material are then packed into the space where the sinus was. The amount of bone used will vary, but usually several millimetres of bone is added above the jaw. Once the bone is in place, the tissue is closed with stitches. Implants will be placed four to nine months later. This allows time for the grafted material to mesh with the bone. The amount of time depends on the amount of bone needed.