Effectiveness of platelet-rich fibrin in the management of pain and delayed wound healing associated with established alveolar osteitis (dry socket)

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) on the pain and healing of the extraction socket related with established alveolar osteitis (dry socket, AO) after the removal of maxillary and mandibular molars. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred consecutive adult patients with age group ranging from 18 to 40 years along with established dry socket after maxillary and mandibular molar extractions who have not received any treatment for the same were included in this single-arm clinical trial. PRF was placed in the maxillary and mandibular molar extraction sockets after adequate irrigation of the socket. All the patients evaluated for the various study variables which include pain, degree of inflammation, and healthy granulation tissue formation (wound healing) at the 1(st), 3(rd), 7(th), and 14(th) post-PRF placement day in the alveolar socket. Data were analyzed using Shapiro-Wilk's test, Chi-square test and/or Student's t-test, Friedman's test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and Bonferroni test, with the significance level set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: There was significant reduction in pain associated with AO at the 3(rd) and 7(th) post-PRF placement day in the extraction socket along with mark decrease in the degree of inflammation at the 3(rd) post-PRF placement day, and there was better wound healing by the end of the 2(nd) week. CONCLUSION: The use of PRF in this clinical trial illustrates the promising results in terms of reduced pain and better healing in the patients with sustained AO.