Simply put, Air Abrasion uses an abrasive powder sprayed under pressure at the tooth to remove decay. A tiny spray of 27-micron powder is used to remove precise areas of tooth structure quickly and efficiently while leaving untreated areas intact. It allows us to remove extremely small areas of tooth structure and preserve more of your natural enamel while removing caries.

This technique can usually be used without the need for anaesthetic, and is commonly referred to as “drill free” or “no shot, no drill” dentistry. This terminology can be misleading, as it cannot be used for all fillings.

Procedures such as crowns, bridges, and removal of old amalgam (silver) fillings will require the handpiece and that usually means anaesthetic will be required. And if the decay is too deep (and the Diagnodent will mostly indicate this) it may be necessary
to make the tooth numb or go back to more traditional methods.

However, for removal of old composite (tooth coloured) fillings and very small areas that need repair, air abrasion is the treatment of choice. Catching areas of decay at their earliest stages is just one more reason for regular dental check-ups.

Air Abrasion is one of the mainstays of Microdentistry, and the cavity preparations shown on the Microdentistry page were all prepared with Air Abrasion.