One of the main goals of modern dentistry is the prevention of tooth loss.
However, it is sometimes necessary to extract a tooth. Some of the reasons for tooth extraction are:
- Severe decay
- Advanced periodontal (gum) disease
- Infection or abscess
- Orthodontic correction
- Malpositioned teeth
- Crowded teeth
- Fractured teeth or roots
- Impacted teeth (mainly wisdom teeth)
Should someone need to have a tooth extracted, Dr. Lockhart will explain all of the options for replacing that tooth. Extraction procedures are vastly less painful than ever before, thanks to powerful anesthetics, and Dr. Lockhart’s advanced surgical techniques. In many cases, patients experience little to no discomfort, and only minor bleeding.
Dr. Lockhart offers a wide range of oral surgery services. You can be comforted knowing that he is skilled in procedures ranging from tooth extractions and placing dental implants, to bone grafting for jaw bone preservation, and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP).
What is Platelet Rich Plasma?
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is exactly what its name suggests. The substance is a by-product of blood (plasma) that is rich in platelets. New technology permits Dr. Lockhart to harvest and produce a sufficient quantity of platelets from a small amount of blood drawn from the patient while they are having outpatient surgery.
Why all the excitement about PRP?
PRP permits the body to take advantage of the normal healing pathways at a greatly accelerated rate. During the healing process, the body rushes many cells to the wound in order to initiate the healing process. One of those cell types is platelets. Platelets perform many functions, including formation of a blood clot and release of growth factors (GF) into the wound. These GF function to assist the body in repairing itself by stimulating stem cells to regenerate new tissue. Thus, one can easily see that PRP permits the body to heal faster and more efficiently.
Learn more about Platelet Rich Plasma. If you have any questions, please call our office at 317-449-8041.