| You
need a filling and you're not exactly looking forward to it. But what
you dread most isn't the pain. Local anesthesia takes care of that.
What you dread is the drill.
Dentists call it a "handpiece," but we all know it as the
drill. Its high-pitched whine, like a million mosquitoes on steroids,
strikes fear into the heart of even the most courageous. The thought
of it touching your teeth makes your muscles tense and your palms sweat.
Now there may be an alternative. Drill-less dentistry? Believe it.
Air abrasion is the newest method of cleaning out tooth decay.
One advantage of air abrasion is that you don't hear any noise or feel
any vibration.
Air abrasion works like a tiny sandblaster. Compressed air and an abrasive
powder wear decay off your tooth.
And to you needle phobes out there: For shallower cavities, you may
not need an anesthetic, although the air and the abrasive powder can
cause some sensitivity.
The procedure is relatively simple and quick. Often, if a small cavity
is found during a checkup, the dentist can fill it the same day in about
10 minutes using air abrasion.
The procedure works for many types of decay. But it can't be used for
everything.
For instance, air abrasion can't be used for deep fillings, or for
veneers, crowns, inlays or onlays. Also, only composite resin fillings
can be used because they will adhere to the smooth surface created by
air abrasion. Silver (amalgam) fillings require accurate cuts made by
the drill into the tooth to prevent the amalgam filling from falling
out.
An air abrasion machine consists of an air compressor and a tank of
abrasive aluminum oxide particles that come in two sizes: 27 microns
and 50 microns. (There are 1,000 microns in a millimeter, which is about
one-third of an inch.) The compressed air and the particles come out
through a nozzle and wear away the decay. Your dentist can control the
size of the nozzle opening, which size particle is being used and the
air pressure.
Some precautions are needed. If you receive air abrasion, your dental
team will use a rubber dam or a protective resin to keep other teeth
from being abraded by the particles. Your dentist also may put protective
resin on your gums.
You and your dental team will wear protective eyewear and the chairside
assistant will suction your mouth constantly to remove the particles.
You may notice a funny taste in your mouth afterward from the particles.
Not every dentist has air abrasion. In fact, most still haven't purchased
the equipment.
The technique is not yet taught in dental schools. Dentists go through
training to learn how to use air abrasion and usually start with easy
cases, moving toward more complex ones as they gain experience.
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