Microabrasion
In this section, we will cover:
- What is microabrasion?
- What does the procedure involve?
- What are the risks?
What is it?
Microabrasion is a type of cosmetic dental treatment which can remove or reduce the appearance of discoloured patches on your teeth.
It is used primarily for areas of superficial intrinsic staining. This is where the discolouration is due to how the tooth developed under the gum. You can find out more about discoloured teeth here.
Your dentist can tell you if microabrasion is a suitable option for you.
What does the procedure involve?
Before starting, your dentist will place isolate the discoloured teeth with a rubber dam (or "dental dam"). This is to keep the area dry and keep the lip/tongue out of the way. No local anaesthetic (numbing) is needed for microabrasion.
A thick paste is applied to the teeth and scrubbed in with a small brush for up to 1 minute. The paste is made up of pumice powder and phosphoric or hydrochloric acid. This is then thoroughly washed off with water and the tooth is dried. This is usually repeated 3 or more times. Your dentist may polish the tooth before and after with very fine sandpaper.
At the end of the appointment, a special paste is applied to the teeth which contains fluoride and other minerals which helps to strengthen the teeth.
As the teeth will be dehydrated, they will look particularly white and frosty straight after the treatment. It can take a day or two for the teeth to "re-hydrate" before you will be able to see the result.
It can take multiple microabrasion appointments before you achieve the desired result. These are usually spaced a few weeks apart.
What are the risks?
There are very few risks associated with microabrasion.
Some people may suffer from temporary sensitivity of the treated teeth.
In some cases, microabrasion will not work reduce/remove any discolouration. If this is the case, other options can be explored such as tooth whitening or composite veneers (also known as composite bonding).