Air Abrasion Owasso
Dental drills are a common tool, used for many applications including clearing decay from cavities and preparing teeth for dental restorations. While effective, the sound of the dental drill can trigger fear and anxiety in many patients. At Jillian Prather Family Dentistry, we can perform many tasks that a dental drill would typically be used for with air abrasion.
What Is Air Abrasion?Air abrasion is a drill-less dental technique that involves the use of a tool akin to a tiny sandblaster. The tool blasts a fine stream of tiny particles of a substance called aluminum oxide. Air abrasion operates with kinetic energy rather than mechanical. Because of this, less friction is generated, which means you do not usually need a local anesthetic. Air abrasion is commonly used to blast away small cavities without any pain. As the particles remove decay, a thin tube is used to suck them up and away.
Benefits of Air AbrasionAir abrasion has many benefits.| • |
It does not generate heat, vibrations, or pressure.
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Your need for local anesthesia is reduced, or even eliminated.
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Because air abrasion operates using kinetic energy instead of mechanical, the risk of fracturing or chipping the tooth during treatment is greatly reduced.
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Air abrasion is minimally invasive. Treatment with air abrasion reduces the amount of natural tooth structure that is removed.
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We can treat multiple areas of the mouth in a single visit.
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We can remove old composite resin fillings without local anesthetic.
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Air abrasion can be used to prepare teeth for bonding or sealants.
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It can be used to remove surface stains to aid in whitening the teeth.
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Air abrasion is an ideal treatment for children with small cavities, as children tend to be anxious or fearful about treatment, especially if shots and noisy drills are needed.
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Adults who suffer dental fears or anxieties can also benefit significantly from air abrasion. |
Disadvantages of Air AbrasionThere are also some disadvantages associated with air abrasion as well.| • |
Larger or softer cavities cannot be treated. The particles cannot blast away softened tooth structure.
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Air abrasion cannot be used to remove amalgam fillings.
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The particles that are blasted can cause sensitivity.
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If we need to remove hard enamel before treating a cavity, a drill must be used. After the enamel is removed, then air abrasion can be used to remove decay.
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Air abrasion cannot be used to prepare crowns or inlays and onlays.
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Treatment cannot be performed on those who have asthma, have dust allergies, have open wounds in the mouth, or who have chronic pulmonary disease. |
Is Air Abrasion Safe?In short, yes, air abrasion is safe. It is also very effective. You are provided with special eyewear to put on during your treatment to protect your eyes from flying particles, preventing eye irritation. We also place a special resin on the teeth and gums around the area to be treated, which serves to protect those areas from harm. We also use suction during treatment so that the particles are sucked out of your mouth while we work, which aids in preventing you from inhaling them. For more information on air abrasion, call Jillian Prather Family Dentistry today at (918) 401-9933. |
