Treating teeth with air abrasion was first tried in the 1940's, and a commercial machine called the Airdent was marketed by SS White. At the same time the air rotor The shrill whining turbine thing has become a dental cliche. Most media articles about dentistry finish with the noise of an air rotor, as it has become synonymous with repairing teeth. Today we find many improvements in the original air abrasion technology. Coupled with huge new advances in dental care, many dentists have rediscovered air abrasion. It has many more applications nowadays that are complementary to the more modern techniques and materials available now.
There are many machines on the market now, each with their own fan clubs. They all work essentially by blowing 27 micron aluminium oxide powder using compressed air through very fine tips. Some systems are experimenting with adding water to the powder stream, and others are trying inert gases rather than compressed air. When the powder stream hits the tooth, it literally puffs away the surface it is pointed at in a remarkably gentle but efficient manner. If the tongue gets in the way, the patient feels only some air pressure. Air Abrasion is not advised for removing old silver fillings, but it can remove white fillings rather well, and is ideal for teeth that have never been filled, such as in children. The downside is that the devices do blow powder into the mouth, but most people are not bothered by the gritty feeling. When they rinse, all is back to normal.
Patients like the near absence of noise, and the total absence of vibration. There is never any burning smell as the teeth cannot get hot. Properly used, air abrasion often does not require a 'shot'. You can imagine how disappointed folks are when they find they can have treatment without an injection, and feel no pain. The buzz words in surgery now are 'minimally invasive'. While the medics look at ways of doing things through keyholes, dentists are also excited by earlier more delicate interventions on teeth. Air abrasion excels at doing delicate work. Ideally, early decay should be spotted by laser diagnosis. This is long before anything can be seen on an x-ray film, or visually. The laser readings are recorded in the dental chart at each check-up. Sometimes it becomes clear that diet and cleaning advice is not working, and the laser readings are inexorably increasing. If someone is clearly at risk from decay, and the bugs are winning, how nice to have the option of 'micro dentistry' using air abrasion! The air abrasion device may be used to gently remove the areas of very early decay before the hole can even be seen. Children benefit especially, as they feel so little, and the extra cleaning means that their fissure sealants are placed quickly, and with a better bond. Much smaller holes can be filled earlier in this way, rather than waiting until the hole is much bigger, or worse, cutting lots of healthy tooth to get to a small hole.
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