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Every time you visit the dentist for a six-month checkup and cleaning, you hope that you don’t hear the dreaded word: cavity. You probably brush, floss, and keep regular dental appointments to avoid cavities, but occasionally they develop in spite of your best efforts. The good news is that if a cavity forms, Dr. Curtis is equipped to detect it early. If it’s small, he may repair it with air abrasion rather than a dental drill. This means you may not even need a numbing shot!

How does air abrasion work?

During a treatment, the air abrasion instrument sprays a fine stream of particles at your tooth’s decay. It functions like a tiny (and comfortable) sandblaster. An air abrasion tool, powered by compressed air or gas, propels silica, aluminum oxide, or baking soda particles at the decay on your tooth’s surface. Air abrasion is more effective at targeting the unhealthy area, so it’s minimally invasive. That means less disruption to the surrounding healthy tooth.

What are the benefits of air abrasion?

• It produces no heat, pressure, or vibration.
• If your cavity is small, the chance that you will need anesthesia is minimal.
• The work area is left fairly dry, which helps in the placement of fillings.
• It reduces the risk of a chipped or microfractured tooth, both of which may compromise the strength of restorations.

Is air abrasion safe?

Yes. In addition, Dr. Curtis takes careful precautions to ensure your air abrasion treatment goes smoothly.

Staying current on your dental care will allow for early cavity detection, and that could result in easy, comfortable treatment with air abrasion. Call our office today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Curtis. He partners with Bridgeport, Trumbull patients in restoring and maintaining oral health, continually offering the latest techniques and technology.