Air Abrasion: Truly Minimally Invasive Technique

Minimally invasive dentistry is not a very new concept but still many dental practitioners do not know its importance. Many novel dental materials and techniques now work on the principle of minimal invasion. One such technique is air abrasion. Air abrasion was first described by Black (1945).1 His aim was to develop a technique that is effective, works on the principles of minimal invasion and is more tissue preserving.2 During 1950s, in Michigan (USA), the air abrasion technique gained popularity and a program was designed to teach the air abrasion technique to dentists.3 McGehee WH (1956) wrote a textbook in 1950s which even contained information about the applications of air abrasion.4 Therefore, air abrasion is not a new technique. Since amalgam was the most popular restorative material those days, this technique did not gain much attention because it lacked the ability to accurately prepare cavity margins and there were concerns regarding the dust particles affecting the eyes of the patients and the dentists.5 Also, the development of air turbine handpiece made cavity preparation easy and quicker.6 With the introduction of the minimally invasive dentistry concept, high volume suction and development of new materials that retain by bonding with the tooth tissue, air abrasion technique has experienced a rebirth.7 Air abrasion’s reevaluation has been possible because of the change in the viewpoint of diagnosing and managing caries.8 Many dental practitioners are using air abrasion nowadays with 27 μm alumina particles. Air abrasion technique utilizes alumina particles for the removal of tooth tissue and it has no vibration and less heat generation, when compared with a conventional high-speed handpiece.9 MECHANISM OF ACTION