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September 9, 2025

Stem Cells in Dentistry: The Secret to a Smooth Recovery

Facing an important denture procedure can feel scary. From tooth extractions to dental implants, these surgery-requiring treatments are safe when performed by a reliable dentist in Hendersonville, NC, but they’re still complex with relatively long recovery times.

Luckily, today, options like stem cells allow you to get the dental surgery you need with better healing times.

What Are Stem Cells?

Stem cells are special cells in the body that can develop into many different types of cells, such as bone, muscle, or nerve cells. They also help repair damaged tissue by stimulating regeneration and healing. In dentistry, they can be used to improve recovery and outcomes in various procedures.

One of the most exciting advancements in dental care is Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) and Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP), stem cell-based treatments made from your own blood.

Because your blood already contains healing elements such as platelets and growth factors that naturally help you recover after an injury or surgery, using these stem cells after surgery helps result in a better healing process.

How Are Stem Cells Used in Dental Procedures

Thanks to modern technology, dentists can now concentrate and apply these healing components directly to surgical sites in the mouth. The process for achieving that is simple and safe.

  1. First, a small amount of blood is drawn from your arm, much like a routine blood test.
  2. The sample is then placed into a special machine called a centrifuge. This machine spins the blood at high speed to separate its components. What we’re looking for are the platelets and fibrin, which are rich in healing factors and stem cell-like properties.
  3. Once separated, the dentist applies the PRF or PRP directly to the surgical area.

These substances help your body heal more quickly and naturally by stimulating tissue regeneration, promoting bone growth, reducing inflammation, and lowering the risk of infection.

In What Dental Treatments Can Stem Cells Be Used?

As mentioned, stem cell technology helps improve healing, reduce pain, and regenerate damaged tissues after a dental procedure. This is especially important to improve the outcomes in procedures that involve surgery, like bone grafts, tooth extractions, and dental implant placement.

1. Bone Grafts

Bone grafts are commonly used in dentistry when there isn’t enough bone in the jaw to support a dental implant or other procedures. Traditionally, bone grafts involve using bone from the patient’s body, a donor, or synthetic material.

However, this process can take several months to heal. When added to a bone graft, stem cells help by speeding up the regeneration process.

These cells can turn into new bone cells and release signals encouraging the body to grow bone naturally. Stem cell-enhanced bone grafts can heal faster, reduce the risk of rejection, and create stronger bone structures. This is especially useful for patients with bone loss due to gum disease, injury, or long-term tooth loss.

2. Tooth Extractions

After removing a tooth, the empty socket left behind in the jawbone is vulnerable to bone loss and delayed healing. In some cases, this can affect the shape of the jaw and complicate future dental treatments. Using stem cells during or immediately after tooth extraction can improve healing and preserve the jawbone.

Dentists can apply stem cells directly to the extraction site, often using a scaffold or a gel that holds the cells in place. These stem cells help by reducing inflammation, encouraging tissue repair, and promoting the growth of new bone and blood vessels.

As a result, patients may experience less pain, faster recovery, and a better foundation for future treatments such as implants.

3. Dental Implant Recovery

Dental implants are artificial tooth roots placed into the jawbone to support crowns, bridges, or dentures. For implants to work, the surrounding bone must heal and integrate with the implant—a process called osseointegration. This healing process can be slow or incomplete in some patients, especially older adults or those with weak bones.

Stem cell therapy can significantly improve implant success. By introducing stem cells at the implant site, dentists can promote faster bone growth around the implant. This helps the implant anchor more securely and reduces the risk of failure.

Why Stem Cells Make a Difference

After dental procedures such as bone grafting, tooth removal, or implant placement, the body needs to rebuild tissue or bone. Traditionally, recovery could take weeks or even months. Still, with PRF/PRP therapy, healing begins more rapidly, and the quality of bone and soft tissue that grows back is often stronger and healthier.

Using your own blood also means no risk of allergic reaction or disease transmission, making the treatment very safe. Because PRF/PRP comes from your body, the chance of rejection is extremely low.

Ozone Therapy: The Best Combination for Improving Surgery Outcomes

Stem cells can be combined with ozone therapy to enhance healing, reduce infection risk, and improve overall treatment outcomes.

Ozone acts as a potent antimicrobial because it kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

Additionally, it improves local oxygenation and forms more proteins and red blood cells, which support tissue healing. This encourages cell regeneration, or the replacement or repair of damaged cells.

Using it during dental procedures can strengthen your immune system, reduce the chances of infection, and accelerate tissue repair.

Find a Dentist in Hendersonville, NC, That Offers Stem Cells Treatments

Stem cells are transforming modern dentistry. Their ability to regenerate bone and tissue makes them highly valuable in bone grafting, tooth extractions, and implant recovery. As stem cell technology advances, it holds great promise for safer, faster, and more effective dental treatments.

Black Bear Dental incorporates these options in combination with ozone therapy to improve the outcomes of dental procedures. Would you like to learn more? Contact us today for more information!

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