This randomized clinical study evaluated salivary α-amylase as a non-invasive biomarker of early wound healing after mandibular third molar surgery. The study compared patients who received platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) in the extraction socket with patients who received standard surgical treatment without PRF.
PRF is a material prepared from the patient's own blood and is used to support tissue healing after surgery. Salivary α-amylase is an enzyme found in saliva that may reflect postoperative stress, inflammation, or healing responses. In this study, saliva samples were collected on postoperative days 0, 3, and 7 to measure α-amylase activity.
The study included adult patients aged 18 to 60 years who underwent impacted mandibular third molar surgery at the Dental Hospital of Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia. The main purpose was to determine whether PRF placement changes salivary α-amylase activity compared with no PRF during the first postoperative week.