3 New Dental Techniques That Could Spell the End of the Drill

The drill might be on its way out. This is likely welcome news for anyone who has ever had to sit through a drilling at their dentist’s office because drilling can be painful and the sound can be extremely unsettling. Luckily for anyone who may be dreading their next visit to the dentists, three replacement techniques have recently been introduced, and a fourth should be available to the public soon.

The most common alternative to the drill is air abrasion. This involves shooting a stream of fine grit at the damaged tooth. The stream of grit works to remove the damaged portion of the tooth without causing the patient any pain and without the dreaded noise of the drill.
Another alternative to the drill is a gel called Carisolv. The gel is incredibly effective and easy to use. A dentist simply rubs in on a decaying tooth and waits. The gel acts to remove the decaying portion of the tooth without harming the healthy part.

Lasers are another possible alternative to drills. They are highly effective, but, unfortunately, their extraordinarily high cost will likely prevent them from becoming a common dentists’ tool, at least in the near future.

Air abrasion, Carisolv, and lasers are effective replacements for some of a drill’s duties, but cannot be used for fillings. That’s where the newest invention comes in. Electrically Accelerated and Enhanced Remineralisation (EAER) is a tooth-rebuilding technique that was developed at King’s College London and may spell the end for traditional fillings in coming years. The process involves the use of a small electric current to push minerals into the damaged area of a tooth that would normally require a filling. EAER is not yet available to the public, but it is extremely promising and dentists are hopeful that it will become widely available soon.

The dentists at The Dental Center at Easton are committed to providing our patients the most up to date, quality care possible and we’re hopeful that all of the aforementioned technological advances will soon be widely available to dental patients in the United States.