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The Centre Update - Fall '02
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?
AIR ABRASION IN DENTISTRY
It seems like every time I hear a radio advertisement for a dental office,
they are touting their new air abrasion system. It is one of my biggest
pet peeves. I would like to educate you about this system and let you in
on exactly what it is that the ads don't tell you.
Air abrasion is like a mini-sandblaster. It directs a thin, high-speed stream
of air-blown microscopic particles that remove decay from your mouth. Since
there is no heat, and no vibration, they exploit the fact that you won't
need to be numb.
What they don't tell you is that it can only be used on "virgin" teeth that
have no prior restorations. It cannot be used to remove existing fillings.
You would still need to be numb in that situation. It also works best only
on very small cavities. Therefore, there are only a small number of instances
in which it can be used. Less than 10 % of dental practices in this country
even have one. In fact, we had one and returned it.
What else? Air abrasion over-spray is extremely messy. The particles used
are very gritty and can be hazardous to people with upper respiratory problems,
such as asthma.
Composite or tooth-colored fillings rely on bonding or adhesives to hold
them in place. Research has concluded that lower bond strengths occurred
when utilizing air abrasion versus traditional treatment.
The same degree of comfort and minimal loss of healthy tooth structure can
be obtained by utilizing high-speed electric handpieces, which is what our
practice has chosen to utilize.
So you see, air abrasion sounds great until you have all of the facts. |
