Air abrasion is a drill-free way to remove small areas of decay and clean teeth with a fine stream of air and particles. Dentists at Redondo Beach Dental Group may use it. The office is at 2511 Artesia Blvd, a short drive from Torrance, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.
If the sound and vibration of the drill is what keeps you from booking, air abrasion is one of the options worth asking about, and the details matter. Call (310) 542-6988 to ask whether it fits the tooth you are worried about. The office lists air abrasion with CEREC one-visit crowns and cone beam 3D imaging among its dental technology, so it is one of several tools your dentist can choose from.
What Air Abrasion Is and How It Works
Air abrasion works a little like a very small, very controlled sandblaster. A handpiece directs a thin stream of compressed air carrying fine particles, such as aluminum oxide, at the tooth. The particles wear away decayed or damaged tooth material, and suction pulls the spent powder away. No spinning bur touches the tooth, so there is no high-pitched whine, and the handpiece generally creates less of the vibration and pressure that many people dislike about a drill.
The technique dates to the 1940s. A 2024 review in the Journal of Biomedical Physics and Engineering notes there are still no standard recommendations for choosing the particle material and settings, so results depend on the judgment of the dentist using it.
Drill-Free Decay Removal: What It Suits
Air abrasion suits small, shallow decay and surface work best. A 2025 review of minimally invasive caries care in the journal Cureus describes it as especially suited to early lesions and small decayed areas, where it can preserve more of the healthy enamel and dentin than a drill would remove. The less tooth removed now, the more natural tooth you keep.
At Redondo Beach Dental Group, air abrasion may be used in two ways.
Removing Small Areas of Decay
Dentists at the office may use air abrasion to remove the decayed or damaged part of a tooth without a drill. Whether a tooth is a good candidate depends on how large and how deep the decay is and where in the mouth it sits, and that is decided after your dentist looks at the tooth. Once decay is removed, the tooth still has to be restored, so ask what that step involves for your tooth.
Polishing and Cleaning
Air abrasion can also polish teeth and lift plaque and food debris during dental cleanings and exams. That is a lighter use of the same technology, and it does not replace a routine cleaning or an exam.
Will You Need a Numbing Shot?
Some patients with small areas of decay need little or no numbing, but not every patient and not every tooth. The honest answer is that it depends on how deep the decay goes, how sensitive the tooth is and how you respond to the sound and feel of treatment. If the decay is close to the nerve, numbing is likely whichever instrument is used. Ask before your visit whether your tooth is likely to need it, and tell your dentist if you would rather have it.
The evidence for air abrasion specifically is thinner than the marketing suggests. A 2020 systematic review of alternatives to the drill, published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, found that alternative methods tended to lessen the need for anesthesia, though they often took longer. Only one of the 37 studies it included looked at air or sono-abrasion, and the authors called those methods promising but in need of more studies.
Limits: When a Drill Is Still the Right Tool
A drill-free approach does not suit every cavity. The Cureus review lists the main limits: it needs good moisture control, it has difficulty removing deep decay, the equipment costs more than conventional tools, and long-term results need more research. Decay in hard-to-reach spots or very close to the nerve often calls for conventional instruments, and some visits use both, with a handpiece to shape the tooth or finish a restoration after the particle stream has done its part.
Typical precautions during air abrasion include protective eyewear, suction and isolating the tooth so that powder stays where it is meant to go. Ask the office what it uses. Your dentist chooses the instrument after examining the tooth, so having air abrasion available does not mean it will be used at every visit.
Air Abrasion and Dental Lasers
Air abrasion and laser dentistry are different tools that people often group together as drill-free options. Air abrasion uses a stream of particles, while a dental laser uses focused light, and the Solea laser is the dental laser the office lists. Which one fits depends on the tooth, so ask which your dentist would recommend and why.
If You Are Anxious About the Drill
Fear of the sound, the vibration or the needle is common and is a good reason to say so when you call. Air abrasion may take some of the sound and vibration out of a visit for the right tooth, but it does not remove every source of worry, and the office has other ways to help. If fear is the main thing keeping you away, ask what dental anxiety treatment at the office involves.
Who You Will See
Dr. Moshe Eizdi leads care at Redondo Beach Dental Group. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at the University of Southern California, where he graduated with honors, and his work covers cosmetic and restorative dentistry, including implant restorations.
Cost and Insurance
There is no separate published price for air abrasion. What you pay depends on the treatment being done, such as a cleaning or removing decay from a tooth and restoring it, so ask for an estimate before treatment begins.
We accept PPO plans, so ask us how your plan applies to this treatment. For costs your plan does not cover, we offer payment plans through Cherry, CareCredit and LendingClub, and an in-office plan for patients without insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is air abrasion in dental procedures?
Air abrasion in dental procedures is a technique that uses a fine stream of compressed air and tiny particles to remove small areas of decay or to polish teeth. It works without a spinning drill bit. Whether a tooth can be treated this way depends on the size and depth of the decay and where it sits.
What are the disadvantages of air abrasion?
The disadvantages of air abrasion are that it suits small, shallow decay better than deep decay, it needs careful moisture control, and the equipment costs more than conventional tools. A 2025 review also notes that long-term results need more study. Some visits still use a drill, so ask your dentist what your tooth is likely to need.
Can a dentist do a filling without drilling?
A dentist can sometimes remove a small area of early decay without a drill by using air abrasion, but the tooth still has to be restored afterward, and not every cavity qualifies. Deeper decay and some locations in the mouth usually call for conventional instruments. Ask your dentist what is possible for your tooth.
Do you need numbing for air abrasion?
Some small areas of decay need little or no numbing with air abrasion, but it depends on the tooth and the patient. Decay that reaches close to the nerve is likely to need numbing with any instrument. Ask before your visit whether your tooth is likely to need it.
Is air abrasion safe?
Air abrasion is used in dentistry with standard precautions, which typically include protective eyewear, suction and isolating the tooth from nearby gums and teeth. It is meant for teeth where the decay is small enough to suit it. Ask the office which safeguards it uses during treatment.
Is air abrasion the same as laser dentistry?
Air abrasion is not the same as laser dentistry, although both are described as drill-free options. Air abrasion removes decay with a stream of particles, while a dental laser uses focused light. Your dentist can explain which is a better fit for the tooth being treated.
How much does air abrasion cost?
The cost of air abrasion depends on the treatment it is part of, since there is no separate published price for the technique itself. A cleaning and the removal of decay from a tooth are priced differently, so ask for an estimate before treatment begins. We accept PPO plans, so ask how yours applies.
Ask About Air Abrasion in Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach Dental Group is at 2511 Artesia Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278. We are open Monday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call (310) 542-6988 or request an appointment online.