Air abrasion procedures are virtually painless, which in most cases eliminates the need for an anesthetic injection. Air abrasion procedures don’t produce vibration, friction and heat associated with drills, which makes it a much more comfortable process. Because air abrasion cuts with fine precision, it removes less tooth structure than the drill, and selectively removes damaged tooth structure easier than healthy tissue. It also reduces the microscopic fractures that occur with a drill, and treatment time is usually shorter. The advantages of air abrasion are: more of your tooth is preserved, there is little or no discomfort, and usually no numbness is needed, and the procedure is faster. It is important to diagnose and treat cavities when they are small and first distinguishable. There are no advantages in “watching” cavities, as they will only get larger and require more of the tooth to be removed and result in a larger filling, requiring drilling, and resulting in a weakened tooth which ultimately may need a root canal treatment and a crown.

Air abrasion procedures can leave an accumulation of harmless fine grit particles in your mouth, resulting in a gritty feeling that is eliminated by rinsing with water. Your dentist will require you to wear glasses during the procedure, and a rubber dam may be applied to isolate your tooth, serving as a particle barrier. To reduce dust buildup, the assistant may use a vacuum and water spray while administering the air abrasion.