GBT with Airflow: a complete mouth detox

Sun, 7th Feb 2021

Dental Therapist, Michelle Paxton, explains how to get the best dental detox possible. Members and non-members of the Gentle Touch can try our new Guided Biofilm Therapy hygiene treatment (using the EMS Airflow system).

I’d like to introduce you to a new treatment which we’ve recently launched at the Gentle Touch. ‘Guided Biofilm Therapy’, or GBT for short, is a really exciting approach to dental hygiene. It uses state-of-the-art AIRFLOW and PERIOFLOW technologies to remove stains, lift dental plaque and brighten your smile. It feels like you’ve had a complete dental detox – often thought of as an “air polish” or a spa treatment for your mouth! Above all, the reason we love GBT is that it’s ideal for preventing and treating common dental diseases like gum disease and tooth decay.

Our new EMS Airflow machine is an evidence-based, gentle approach to remove dental biofilm from the tooth, gums and soft tissues in the mouth. We use Airflow Plus Powder, which contains Erythritol, as well as warm water. This helps us to achieve a comfortable, minimally-invasive way of removing biofilm, young calculus and mild surface staining. The Airflow Plus Powder contains the most finely grained particle in the world of dentistry. The result is effective removal of biofilm whilst leaving teeth and gums unharmed.

What is Biofilm?

I keep mentioning the word ‘biofilm’ but what is it and why do we want to remove it? Biofilm, or plaque, is bacteria that forms on the tooth surface and is the main cause of decay and gum disease. Regular effective toothbrushing and interdental cleaning, combined with professional advice and cleaning, keeps biofilm under control for better oral health and systemic health.

There are a few triggers of biofilm:

Tooth Decay – bad breath, tooth or implant loss
Gingivitis – gum bleeding
Periodontal Disease – bone loss around teeth, loose teeth, receding gums, tooth loss

Biofilm also has been shown to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s, heart disease, diabetes and more.

Guided Biofilm Therapy: an 8 step process

We follow an 8-stage process for GBT as this ensures that you get the very best results, with minimal intervention:

Assess – we will assess your mouth to check for any gum disease
Disclose – we disclose the biofilm with a dye to make it visible. We need to do this because biofilm is barely visible to the naked eye and we want to ensure we remove 100% of it. Colour removal = biofilm removal.
Motivate – once we have made the biofilm visible we can show you any area you are missing when brushing and tailor oral hygiene advice to suit your individual needs.
Airflow – warm water and Airflow Plus Powder are used to gently remove the disclosed biofilm. It is also safe to use Airflow on soft tissues, gums and tongue. The treatment is suitable for all ages

Perioflow – this is an additional step for patients with more advanced gum disease to remove biofilm from deeper pockets and around teeth.
Ultrasonic – after use of Airflow, we may need to use the ultrasonic scaler to remove any remaining calculus (hardened plaque).
Check – final check to ensure all biofilm and calculus have been removed. Fluoride is applied for added protection.
Recall – we will then recommend when you should be seen again based on your individual risk assessment.

Here are stages 1-4 in action with one of our own patients, Matilda!

GBT at the Gentle Touch

I’d love to discuss GBT at your next dental appointment or, if you know you’d like to go ahead, you can call the reception team to book. Guided Biofilm Therapy is the future in the management of dental disease. That’s why we are so excited to be able to offer you this at The Gentle Touch.

Michelle Paxton – Dental Therapist

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