In short: PRF stands for platelet-rich fibrin. From a small amount of your own blood, centrifuging produces a concentrate rich in platelets and growth factors. It is placed into the wound or a graft site and supports your body's own healing. It contains no additives and no foreign material — it is your own blood, only concentrated.
The term "own-blood treatment" carries associations that are out of place here. In dental surgery PRF is not a promise of healing and not an alternative method, but a very matter-of-fact procedure: using what the body already deploys for wound healing, in higher concentration and in the right place.
How it is obtained
- Before the procedure a small amount of blood is drawn, as in a routine blood test
- The tubes are centrifuged — the components separate by weight
- From the middle layer a firm, gel-like fibrin matrix forms, high in platelets and white blood cells
- This is pressed into membranes or used as a plug and placed during the same procedure
No anticoagulants, no additives and no animal or synthetic materials are added. That is the essential difference from older techniques and the reason it is unproblematic both legally and immunologically.
Where it is used
- After extractions, particularly wisdom teeth: the fibrin stabilises the blood clot in the empty socket
- In bone grafting: mixed into bone substitute or as a covering membrane over the graft site
- In sinus lifts, to protect and cover the raised sinus membrane
- In implant placement, to support soft tissue healing at the transition to the crown
- In wounds that heal less well, for instance in smokers or patients at elevated risk
What it realistically achieves
The documented effects concern mainly the early phase: a more stable wound, less swelling and fewer complaints in the first days, and a reduced risk of disturbed healing in the empty socket. In bone grafting the fibrin matrix serves as a carrier structure into which tissue can grow.
What PRF does not do: it replaces neither bone nor careful surgical technique. It does not turn a case with too little bone into a case with enough. And it does not cancel out the effect of smoking — it mitigates it at best. Anyone who smokes after the procedure worsens healing more than PRF improves it.
Safety and process
Because it is your own blood, there is no rejection reaction and no infection risk from foreign material. The extra effort for you is one blood draw on the day of the procedure. The method is unsuitable with certain blood and clotting disorders and under some medications — we clarify that at the preliminary consultation from your medical history.
Whether PRF makes sense in your case depends on the procedure and your healing risk. We propose it where it brings a recognisable advantage, not routinely at every appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Is PRF a recognised method?
Yes, it is established and well studied in oral surgery and implantology. The scientific focus is on early wound healing and soft tissue healing.
How much blood is taken?
A small amount, comparable to a normal laboratory blood draw. It is taken shortly before the procedure.
Does German insurance cover PRF?
Usually not; it is mostly invoiced as a private service and set out in the cost plan beforehand.
Can I eat normally sooner after PRF?
The rules after a procedure stay the same: protect the wound, do not suck, do not smoke, soft food. PRF does not shorten the cautious phase; it supports healing within it.
This article provides general information and does not replace a dental examination. Medically reviewed by Dr. F. J. Rodríguez Ruíz, MSc., dentist at A+ Dental, Düsseldorf-Oberkassel.