Dental Health: Air Abrasion (Drill-less Dentistry)

Air abrasion is a technique applied instead of drilling, for removing decayed tooth, as well as for other dental treatments.

Air Abrasion Technique

The instrument used for air abrasion has the semblance of a small sandblaster. Using this instrument, a mixture of extremely fine particles of baking soda, aluminum oxide, and silica are sprayed on to the surface of the tooth. These are sprayed with force, using compressed air or gas, through the hand-piece of the instrument. As the powered stream strikes the area, the decayed particles get sprayed off. The decayed portions that are thus removed are suctioned off after that.

Is Air Abrasion a Risky Procedure?

No. Air abrasion is absolutely safe. During air abrasion the patient wears a protective eye cover to prevent the spray getting into the eye. A rubber sheet, known as rubber dam, is used in the mouth to cover the gum and teeth around the area to guard it from the spray. Alternatively, a resin is applied to the area for protection, instead of using a rubber dam.

The Benefits of Air Abrasion

Air abrasion does have certain benefits over conventional drilling of teeth. These are listed below:

• Air abrasion does not cause sound, vibrations, pressure, or heat.
• It lessens the need to anesthetize the area, especially if the cavity is not deep.
• The damage caused to the healthy dental tissue is less when air abrasion is used.
• The working arena remains dry when air abrasion is used. This is helpful when composite fillings are done.
• Air abrasion lessens the risk of micro-fracturing and tooth chipping. This has long term benefits since it can lessen the possibility of restorative failures.
• By using this technique a dentist can treat different points inside the mouth during the same visit.
• It is a comparatively quick and simple procedure.

The Drawbacks of Air Abrasion

• It is not completely painless. The air, or the abrasives used for the procedure, can cause some irritation.
• While it is suitable for smaller cavities on the teeth surface, air abrasion is not suitable for deeper cavities that has gone deeper and reached near the tooth pulp.
• Silver filling or amalgam filling cannot be done if a tooth is prepared by air abrasion, since these need drill-based cuts. Only composite filling can be used when tooth is readied by air abrasion as it sticks well to the resultant smooth surface.

Suitability of Air Abrasion

Air abrasion is suitable when tooth decay is limited, or for those who are afraid, or for children.

Other Arenas Where Air Abrasion Can Help

Air abrasion is helpful in the following procedures as well:

• In removing old composite filling, though not amalgam and silver fillings.
• In preparing the surface of tooth for bonding.
• In removing stains and discoloration on teeth.

Insurance Coverage for Air Abrasion

Medical insurance policies cover a very wide range and the provisions of one plan can be very different from another. As such it is not possible to give a general answer to the question. Only those in charge your specific plan can answer the doubt.