Do you dread the dentist? Do you hate the sound of the drill, fear anesthesia or needles, and put off your regular checkups because you dread being told you will have to undergo dental procedures? Then drill-free air abrasion dentistry is for you. Air abrasion is a drill-free technique used by Dr. Richard Knowlton to remove tooth decay, prepare teeth for bonding, and remove old fillings and stains. It is particularly appropriate for young children or people with dental anxiety, because it is sound- and vibration-free. It allows the creation of a relaxing atmosphere, requires less anesthesia in many cases, and involves much less noise.
How does drill-free dentistry work?
Air abrasion is like a mini sandblaster; it sprays away decay-causing tartar and plaque. Tartar and plaque is removed by a fine stream of particles, comprised of silica, aluminum oxide, or a baking soda mixture, which is sprayed toward the tooth by compressed air or a gas in a dental hand-piece. The debris is then suctioned away.
Advantages of air abrasion dentistry
- Leaves more of the healthy tooth matter
- Reduces the risk of chipping or fracturing the tooth
- Generates no heat, sound, vibration, or pressure
- Reduces the need for anesthesia
- Is a relatively simple, quick procedure
- Allows treatment of multiple teeth in one visit
- Is a relatively dry procedure, which allows for easy placement of composite fillings
Drill-free dentistry can go a long way to easing your dental anxiety. To enter Knowlton Dental Associates and not hear the high-pitched squealing of the drill is, in itself, a big plus. Then to know you will have to receive little or no anesthesia to have a cavity filled with air abrasion, and that this method will be a quiet, relatively pain-free procedure … can you imagine it?
Contact Knowlton Dental Associates at our convenient Elizabethtown, PA office to see if air abrasion dentistry is right for you!
