How CGF Helps Stabilize Dental Implants Faster
The success of dental implants is based on whether or not the bone attaches firmly to the implant. This is called osseointegration. It takes time for this to take place, and several factors can slow the process that may cause it to fail. A concentrated growth factor may be able to speed up the process to ensure a higher rate of success.
About Concentrated Growth Factor
Concentrated growth factor (CGF) is taken from the patient’s blood. It is drawn from the patient right before the bone graft surgery or installation of a dental implant and then put in a centrifuge to get the desired components and to concentrate them. Once completed, which only takes a few minutes, a liquid is drawn out of the test tube that contains white blood cells, stem cells, and growth factors.
In the case of a bone graft, the liquid is mixed with the bone graft material. The stem cells can differentiate into the various types of cells needed for faster healing. It works to heal the wound faster and also to increase the rate of new bone growth.
Another valuable factor found in CGF is that it has an anti-angiogenic factor. This means that it inhibits cancer growth because it restricts the growth of new blood vessels. This means that it will help to starve any potential cancer cells in the bone.
Immediate Implant Placement
When teeth are extracted, many dentists would wait until the site had completely healed before placing the implant. Since this process would take several months, bone loss with a reduction in the size of the alveolar ridge had already occurred before the dental implant can be inserted. This was less than ideal.
Placing the dental implant into the site immediately after the extraction offered a much better solution. Adding bone graft material into the socket with a concentrated growth factor sped up the healing to ensure a successful tooth implant.
A Research Study
A study was conducted to test the value of the effectiveness of using CGF in dental implants against a control group that only received implants. A total of 12 patients were involved, five were males, and seven were females. They included a wide age range of 20 to 68, with an average age of 44.
The study group received 20 dental implants and the control group also received 20 implants. The implants were placed in sockets of the same size. In the experimental group, the implant cavity walls were covered with CGF membranes and the implant was inserted. The control group simply had the implants installed with no other procedure other than closing the wound with sutures.
Resonance frequency analysis (RFA) is a standard way to measure the stability of dental implants. RFA measurements were taken at the time of implantation, then at one week and four weeks later. With these measurements, an implant stability quotient (ISQ) was determined. At the start of the study, both groups had the same ISQ values. At both the first and fourth weeks, the study group had notably higher ISQ values.
In the evaluation of this small study, it is believed that CGF has a beneficial effect on the osseointegration process especially within the first and the fourth weeks. It is also believed that CGF is better than platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF).
Preparing CGF
Concentrated growth factor is processed in a centrifuge, just like PRP and PRF. The difference is in the way that the centrifuge varies its speed. This enables the growth factors to be isolated better, giving it a higher concentration of the materials needed for cell generation, vascular maintenance, and more processes needed for healthy bone growth
Another Study
A study was conducted which installed dental implants immediately after the extraction of teeth. CGF was made from the patients’ blood and applied to the implants. After six months, the implants were scanned with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). All of the implants using CGF survived and had successful bone formation around them. This took place in six months.
Another study found that bone growth had been completed in an extraction site in about four to five months using CGF. In a control group that did not have CGF added, it took about seven to eight months for complete bone formation.
When CGF is used along with the implantation of dental implants, it speeds up bone growth and osseointegration. This helps to ensure the success of the implant and its stability – whether teeth are added immediately or later.
If you are looking to get dental implants of any kind, you need to find a periodontist that will use growth factor to speed up the healing process. There is no need to add several months for the healing to be completed. Dr. Kumar T. Vadivel, DDS, MS, MBA, FDSRCS, a Board Certified Periodontist uses concentrated growth factor when placing implants. You can get access to his dental implant services in his Carrollton, Cedar hill, Mockingbird/SMU, and Grapevine, TX offices. Most dental insurance plans are accepted. To set up a consultation or to get more information about CGF and dental implants, you can contact his ToothHQ office
