When was dental air abrasion invented?
Treating teeth with air abrasion was first tried in the 1940’s, and a commercial machine called the Airdent was marketed by SS White. It might have caught on, but another device was competing for dentists’ attention. As you may have guessed, this new device was the air rotor [editor’s note: that’s “the drill” for the uninitiated – also known as a high speed air turbine. The air turbine part is at the tip of the handpiece, and is driven by air pressure]. The shrill whining turbine thing has become a dental cliche. Most media articles about dentistry finish with the noise of an air rotor, as it has become synonymous with repairing teeth. Fast forward to the 21st century, and we find many improvements in the original air abrasion technology. Coupled with huge new advances in dental care, many dentists have rediscovered air abrasion. It has many more applications nowadays that are complementary to the more modern techniques and materials available now.
