Do you have dental anxiety? If so, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that up to avoid going to the dentist because of dental anxiety.
Dr. Adam Piotrowski and Dr. Taylor Cohen understand that having can make it difficult to maintain healthy teeth and gums. That’s why we offer air abrasion. Using air abrasion allows our dentists to remove decayed tooth structure and place tooth fillings without using a drill. This helps many of our patients feel more at ease.
Let’s take a closer look at what causes dental anxiety and how air abrasion in dentistry can help put patients at ease.
What Causes Dental Anxiety?
Most patients with dental anxiety are worried about feeling pain. In fact, it’s not uncommon for patients with dental anxiety to have had bad prior experiences with other dentists.
Dr. Piotrowksi, Dr. Cohen and their team offer compassionate dental care so you can feel at ease during your appointment. Air abrasion is just one of the ways we ensure a safe, pain-free dental experience. For example, we also make sure your tooth is properly numb before starting any procedure. That way, you don’t experience any dental pain or discomfort.
What Is Air Abrasion?
Air abrasion in dentistry can be used to safely blast away tooth decay and remove surface stains. It also may be used to prepare teeth for cosmetic bonding or to repair cracked or worn teeth.
During air abrasion, our dentists use a small handheld device that blows a stream of air and tiny Al2O3 particles against your tooth. This allows us to remove tooth decay without having to use a drill.
Air abrasion is often used for small cavities near the surface of the tooth, but can’t be used for anything more serious. For example, we may recommend a root canal if you have a deep cavity that penetrates the pulp inside of your tooth. The pulp is the innermost chamber of your tooth that’s made of live tissue. Once this pulp is infected, we will need to remove the diseased tissue and seal the tooth with a dental crown. (Ask about our CEREC dental crowns to get this done in one appointment!)
Is Air Abrasion Painful?
You will feel little to no pain with air abrasion, yet it depends on the procedure. Sometimes, we don’t have to inject pain relievers at all! Every patient is different.
Either way, Dr. Piotrowski and Dr. Cohen will make sure your tooth is properly numb before starting the procedure. After air abrasion, you may notice that your tooth is sensitive to heat and cold. This tooth sensitivity is normal and should go away quickly as time passes.
Tooth Fillings After Air Abrasion
We can only use composite tooth fillings after air abrasion. These white fillings are made of composite resin, which adheres well to smooth surfaces. Since air abrasion helps smooth out surfaces, you’ll need a composite filling to restore your tooth’s strength and appearance.
Avoid Dental Pain with Air Abrasion
Don’t ignore tooth pain! A toothache is your body’s way of letting you know something is wrong. The sooner we’re able to detect a cavity, the more likely we will be able to use air abrasion to remove the decayed tooth structure. That way, you can avoid having us drill into your tooth.
Our can restore your tooth without using a drill. Call Precision Family Dental today at (616) 949-1570, or contact us online to request an appointment.
This blog post has been updated.