High velocity air microabrasion for conservative tooth preparation: the principle and the clinical procedure

Various technologies within the dental armamentarium are applied to achieve the precise tooth preparations required for the different types of restorations. This article reintroduces the air microabrasion technique, which was first presented in 1945. The popular use of this technique had been postponed, pending the decrease in cost and development of compatible restorative materials to repair the tooth structure. With increased patient demand for less invasive preparation techniques and the decrease of the equipment cost, the use of air microbrasion for tooth preparation has been recognized. The history of the technology, its function, indications, advantages, and limitations are discussed, and a step-by-step clinical procedure is presented. The learning objective of this article is to familiarize the readers with this preparation procedure, enhancing the knowledge of preparation options.