Current Dentistry
Minimally Invasive Dentistry
Dr. David Silber's January article on Air Abrasion and the revolutionary new minimally invasive and modern dentistry techniques.
When I graduated from dental school and got my license, I was eager to go out to the world and display all the skills I had learned. Yet after a year and a half of actually dealing with dental insurance and patients in my Puerto Rico private prac- tice, I became a little discouraged. I repeatedly asked myself, how did the profession allow insurance to take over dentistry? I was frustrated with the ‘drill, fill and bill’ aspect of dentistry, I wanted to stick out like a sore thumb!
Later on that year, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry held its annual meeting in Puerto Rico. A representative for an air abra- sion company at that meeting contacted me with such a great offer that I could not refuse to try air abrasion in my office. My first patient af- ter air abrasion training convinced me that this was my way out of standard dentistry.
See, that first patient needed two defective, rather large, amalgam restorations removed. Never one to hesitate, I proceeded to offer this patient drill-free removal of her amalgams with air abrasion followed by tooth-coloured restoration replacements. Now bear in mind that patients in Puerto Rico usually complain of the $5-25 (£2.40-£12.00) deductible per amalgam restoration and she would need to pay an approximate $65.00 (about £31.20) deductible for the tooth coloured restorations. She not only accepted the treatment plan, but had no problem paying the higher fee! What a concept.
Needless to say, I have learned much about the procedure since that day. However, that first lesson remains true. Patients will pay the extra dollar or drive the extra mile to receive the treatment that they want, performed in the manner that they prefer. To follow a simi- lar path out of the ‘drill, fill and bill’ routine, you must decide which tools to employ in your practice. This is certainly no easy task since there are so many gadgets and gizmos available – each of which proclaim to be ‘the best.’ I will attempt to clear the AIR on minimally invasive dentistry.
The Minimally Invasive Way
What is minimally invasive dentistry? It is thedentistry that we CAN practice today. The ma- terials we now have in dentistry work for us in- stead of us working for the materials. Amalgam requires a minimal thickness for strength and undercuts for mechanical retention. This re- sults in a large amount of preparation done at the expense of healthy enamel and dentin. Understanding modern adhesive dentistry, we can now remove only that part of the tooth that is diseased, and replace it with a tooth-coloured restoration that is aesthetically pleasing and conserves healthy tooth structure. Adhesive dentistry works for us, not against us.
Read the Rest of the Article [PDF]
Published by Dr. David Silber, DMD
Tags: Air Abrasion, DenMat, Minimally Abrasive, No Pain Dentistry
