HOW DOES AIR ABRASION WORK? CAVITIES FILLED WITHOUT NUMBING, IS THAT POSSIBLE?

Air Abrasion: A Minimally-Invasive Alternative to the Dentist’s Drill

Getting a cavity is something that many of us are concerned about; not because of the cavity itself, but because fixing the problem will require facing a common dental phobia - the dentist’s drill. These days, however, fixing cavities doesn’t always require the use of such drill, thanks to the development of a technique called air abrasion. Many dentists are already using this advanced technology to make tooth restoration a much more comfortable experience for their patients. You may have also heard of “laser dentistry” which again is a procedure for fillings similar to air abrasion in that a cavity is removed in a different way than a drill put to a tooth.  It is often without anesthesia.  The key to both of these procedures is that the cavity is relatively small and does not have a previous filling in the area. 

How Air Abrasion Works

The air abrasion technique uses an instrument that works a bit like a sandblaster—it uses compressed air to propel a stream of tiny particles of silica or aluminium oxide at high speed towards a target. In this case, the target is a decayed tooth. The dentist aims the particle stream at the decayed portion of tooth, and the force of the stream is sufficient to remove the decay, tiny fragments at a time. The decayed material that comes off the tooth is removed with suction. The best I have found this is with children who find the procedure “tickles” the tooth and does not hurt.  A cavity can be removed with minimal discomfort and often without numbing: how great is that!

Air abrasion can also be used to remove old sealants and  remove tooth discolouration.

Air abrasion is safe, even for young children, and few precautions are needed. Someone who is having an air abrasion treatment will typically wear eye protection so that the particle spray doesn't irritate their eyes, and the dentist may apply a dental dam or sealant to healthy teeth to protect them from the spray.  Another option is isolation with cotton roll.  If a child is apprehensive then nitrous oxide sedation can be used and can reduce the anxiety of the visit and make it pleasant.  It is critical that children are not traumatized by dentistry today.  There are so many ways that we can make a dental visit a positive visit for your child.

Advantages of Air Abrasion

Air abrasion is a much more comfortable procedure than drilling, for several reasons:

• It can be faster than drilling cavities, if anesthesia is not needed.
• It removes less healthy tooth material than drilling, and there’s less risk of causing damage to the teeth.
• Air abrasion causes much less pain than drilling, and often doesn't require any anesthesia.
• The air abrasion tool doesn't get hot, make loud noises, emit vibrations, or put pressure on the teeth, as a drill often does.  It is dusty and letting the patient understand that as soon as done, they can rinse, releases a lot of anxiety of treatment.

The technique is most suitable for small, shallow cavities, so this is another good reason to visit your dentist regularly for check-ups and professional cleaning. If cavities are caught early, while the decay is minimal, it’s more likely they’ll be able to be repaired using air abrasion.

Deer Park Dental is dedicated to educating patients about their oral health and dental solutions. Visit www.deerparksmiles.com to learn more about advanced dental treatments and restorations.

Prosites, edited by Janice G. Scott DDS