Skip to main content

Air Abrasion The Drill Less Technique

By
Dentists of this modern era have a newer alternative for removing portions of the tooth structure for eliminating tooth cavities without that familiar drill. The technique is known as the Dental air abrasion.
Air abrasion is a drill-less technique used by some dentists to remove small areas of tooth decay. It works just like a sandblaster which helps remove graffiti from walls. The air abrasion handpiece blows a mighty air stream of tiny aluminum oxide particles out of its tip onto the tooth which blasts the decay away leaving a much cleaner and smoother tooth surface.
Air Abrasion The Drill-Less Technique
Air Abrasion
How Does Air Abrasion Work?
During air abrasion, an instrument that looks like an airbrush is used to spray away the decay. A narrow stream of particles aims at the stained or decayed area of the tooth. These particles are often made of silica, aluminum oxide, or a baking soda mixture. They are propelled toward the tooth surface by compressed air or gas that runs through the dental handpiece. Small parts of decay are removed from the tooth surface as the stream of particles strikes them with good pressure. The decay particles are then "suctioned" away through a thin tube.
Many parameters vary the quantity of tooth removal and depth of particle penetration. These "parameters" are as follows:
  1. The amount of air pressure.
  2. The particle size.
  3. The density of particles that pass through the nozzle which is being considered.
  4. Nozzle diameter of the handpiece.
  5. The angle of the nozzle of the handpiece.
  6. Distance from the object.
  7. Time of exposure to the tooth.

What Are the Advantages of Air Abrasion?

The advantages of air abrasion are many compared with the traditional drilling method. These are as follows:
  • Air abrasion generates no heat, vibration, or pressure.
  • Air Abrasion does not produce a scary sound as in the case of tooth drilling machine. The air abrasion procedure reduces fear in patients.
  • Often, air Abrasion may reduce the requirement for anesthesia, especially if the cavity is shallow.
  • More of the healthy tooth structure is left behind in Air abrasion, unlike drilling.
  • Air abrasion does not involve the risk of fracturing and chipping of the tooth.
  • While your dentist is cleaning your teeth, he might spot a small cavity and can quickly fill it up the same day by the air abrasion technique, using natural-looking restoration materials that help strengthen and protect the teeth.
  • The procedure may take longer than traditional drilling but is relatively much more straightforward.

What Are the Disadvantages of Air Abrasion?

  • Air abrasion is not always painless. The air and abrasive particles may sometimes cause tooth sensitivity.
  • Air abrasion is not a suitable for deep cavities which are very close to the tooth's pulp or for those that are in between teeth. It is best recommended for treating small cavities that form early on the outer surface (enamel) of teeth.
  • Air abrasion does not help in removing hard enamel to be able to access the decay. Therefore, in such cases, a traditional drilling equipment must be used to achieve the desired result. Once the decay becomes accessible, air abrasion can then be used for further removal of the decay.
  • Air abrasion does not come into use when preparing crowns, on-lays, and inlays. The technique can also be used to remove old composite fillings and stains or spots from the surface of the tooth.

Patient's Guide

Danforth Dentist, Dr. Claudia Wood says, “Air abrasion is a good alternative for all patients, mostly children and nervous or elderly who fear drill (dental anxiety) or the noise that comes from it, and who have minimal tooth decay.” Discuss the condition of your teeth and the process of dental air abrasion with your dentist, if you both agree that air Abrasion is a suitable treatment for your cavities, then you must not delay in getting the procedure done. Also, discuss the after or co-existing treatments that you will need to get done.
The procedure of air abrasion can leave an accumulation of dust-like particle debris in the patient's mouth that is harmless but can feel gritty in the mouth. Debris is eradicated by rinsing. This technique removes the decay in teeth, but the cavity will usually remain, and it will need to be filled unless the air abrasion is used as a preventative measure before cavities build up.
Composite fillings typically work best with air abrasion. The reason behind this fact is that the composite material adheres best to teeth which have been smoothened by the air abrasion technique and this makes the filling last longer.
References
  1. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_drill
  2. http://danforthdentalsolutions.ca/
  3. http://www.dentalguide.co.uk/patient-guides/a-guide-to-air-abrasion/
Labels:
Location: 2137 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4C 1K2, Canada

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dry Needling Therapy Benefits and Risks

By
Dry needling therapy is a form of Physical therapy used to treat myofascial (muscle related) pain. During the therapy, a dry needle (without any injection or medication) is inserted through the skin into the areas of the muscle known as trigger points. A trigger point is a tightened band of skeletal muscle within a larger muscle group. Trigger points can be sore to touch and applying any sort of stimulation on the trigger point may result in pain in other parts of the body. The relation between the trigger points and the related muscle group is what helps the therapy of dry needling . This is also the reason why this form of therapy is often referred to as ‘trigger point dry needling’ or Intramuscular manual therapy. This therapy is often used to treat muscle pain, even fibromyalgia pain, and sports injuries. It is often confused with Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medical technique performed by Acupuncturists. The two practices are different and dry needling
11 comments
Read more

Dental Braces Types Advantages And Disadvantages

By
What Are Dental Braces And Its Types?  Dental braces are devices that are used by dentists to straighten a person’s teeth. These orthodontic devices can either be cosmetic or structural. They often help to widen the palate or jaws and to assist the shaping of the teeth and jaws.  There are mainly four types of braces:  1. Metal Braces  These are the common types of braces usually formed with metal brackets and wires. Modern braces are smaller and less noticeable than the lower braces. These braces cost very less and come in various colors, but these braces are very noticeable once fitted.  Metal Braces 2. Ceramic Braces  Ceramic braces are of identical shape and size as that of the metal braces. They are tooth-colored and can easily blend into person's teeth. One can even use tooth-colored wires to make these even more unnoticeable. These work faster than plastic aligners but are more expensive. These get stained very quickly if the patient does not take care of
8 comments
Read more

Tooth extractions: Procedure and complications

By
Amongst all the dental procedures, the most dreaded by people is the removal of the tooth from the mouth or extraction of the tooth. Uprooting can only be hard for patients who do not cooperate with the procedure. Staying patient and following the instructions that are given by the dentist can provide a quick and uncomplicated method. The more you know or learn about the extraction procedure , the more relaxed and hassle-free will it be for you. Here is everything you need to know before you get your tooth pulled out. Reasons for pulling Tooth The permanent is supposed to last a lifetime, but poor oral hygiene maintenance and ignorance can lead to loss of teeth. Teeth are extracted due to decay or damage, but here are a few other reasons for tooth extraction : Crowding: It refers to the presence of un-aligned teeth. Removal of crowding is done during orthodontic treatment. It creates a space in order align the rest of the teeth. Severe decay: Tooth decay if not controll
7 comments
Read more