Air abrasion is a dental technique that uses compressed air to propel a thin stream of abrasive particles—often aluminum oxide or

silica Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , most commonly found in nature as quartz and in various living organisms. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one ...

—through a specialized hand-piece to remove tooth tissue and decay before being suctioned away, similar to

sand blasting Sandblasting, sometimes known as abrasive blasting, is the operation of forcibly propelling a stream of abrasive material against a surface under high pressure to smooth a rough surface, roughen a smooth surface, shape a surface or remove su ...

. It can be used in a variety of dental procedures, including removing tooth decay, stains, and old restorations, as well as to prepare teeth for new restorations, sealants, and bonding.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages of air abrasion include that it preserves more healthy tooth tissue (which can increase the strength and longevity of restorations), and has less risk of fracturing or chipping a tooth when compared to a traditional pneumatic dental drill. Air abrasion generates minimal noise, vibration, pressure, and heat, all of which can increase patient comfort and reduce or eliminate the need for

local anesthesia Local anesthesia is any technique to induce the absence of sensation in a specific part of the body, generally for the aim of inducing local analgesia, that is, local insensitivity to pain, although other local senses may be affected as well. It ...

. Disadvantages of air abrasion include not being appropriate for removing decay in all situations (such as deep decay or decay between teeth), possible aggravation of certain medical conditions (such as

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...

and

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a type of progressive lung disease characterized by long-term respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation. The main symptoms include shortness of breath and a cough, which may or may not produce ...

), and the initial investment costs of an air abrasion system. Additionally, there are some concerns related to the possible health effects of inhaling abrasive particles and clean up concerns, although these can be minimized by using a

dental dam A dental dam or rubber dam is a thin, square sheet, usually latex or nitrile, used in dentistry to isolate the operative site (one or more teeth) from the rest of the mouth. Sometimes termed "Kofferdam" (from German), it was designed in the Uni ...

and good suction.

History

In the 1940s, Dr. Robert Black began researching air abrasion technology and its use in dentistry. In 1951, Dr. Black and S.S. White Dental Manufacturing Co. released the first commercial dental air abrasion system, the Airdent air abrasion unit. The unit failed to gain wide popularity due to several factors, including the inability of air abrasion to prepare the well-defined margins and walls needed for the

amalgam Amalgam most commonly refers to: * Amalgam (chemistry), mercury alloy * Amalgam (dentistry), material of silver tooth fillings ** Bonded amalgam, used in dentistry Amalgam may also refer to: * Amalgam Comics, a publisher * Amalgam Digital, an in ...

restorations used at the time, the lack of high-velocity suction available for powder control, and the introduction of the time-saving air turbine drill. Air abrasion began to resurface in the 1990s with the rise of adhesive dentistry.

References

{{reflist Dentistry procedures

Advantages and disadvantages

History

See also

References