How Does It Work?

Air abrasion is a new method for removing tooth decay which uses tiny particles of aluminum oxide or silica. Imagine a miniature sandblaster gently wearing away the decayed material without the friction of a drill. Your dentist uses compressed air to spray a stream of the sand-like particles at the site of the affected tooth while an assistant generally suctions away the excess. Because air abrasion, or microabrasion, is most commonly used to prepare a tooth for a tooth filling, it is also often referred to as kinetic cavity preparation.