GBT Certified Dental Clinic
Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) is a dental cleaning technique that removes not only dental plaques but also biofilms, which is the cause of tooth decay and gum diseases.
What are Biofilms?
Biofilms or dental plaques, are always found on the surface of teeth. When saliva gets in contact with a clean tooth surface, a substance from the saliva accumulates into a thin layer of film (biofilm) coating the surface. Over time, bacteria in the oral cavity will form. If those biofilms continues to accumulate in the long run, they develop into plaques and become calcium deposits.
Brushing your teeth everyday correctly will remove the biofilms before they become thicker plaques and increases the accumulation of bacteria. Properly brushing your teeth therefore, effectively prevents tooth decay and gum diseases.
Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) consists of the 3 following steps.
- Applying plaque disclosing gels on the teeth – In this step, dentist will apply blue gels on every tooth surface before rinsing them with water. The gels that are adhered to the plaques will show any of the two following colors:
- Dark blue plaques are thick plaques that have been accumulated for over 48 hours. This means the patient has not properly brushed the teeth in those areas. These kind of plaques are densely covered with bacteria which may cause gum and tooth diseases.
- Red plaques are thin layers of plaques that have been accumulated for not more than 48 hours. This means the current tooth brushing technique of the patient can effectively clean the areas covered with plaques.
- The dentist will let the patient see the colors of the gels through the mirror during the first step and advise proper brushing technique.
- Airflow polishing – Dentist will clean the teeth to get rid of the plaques that appeared from the disclosing gels with a special tool called Airflow. This technology will gently and completely cleanse every tooth in the oral cavity.
Airflow Technology
Airflow is an advanced technology in preventative dental care that is designed to eliminate plaques and biofilms that are covering the surface of the teeth. The machine consists of a jet that sprays airflow powder with water and air to clean the tooth surface.
The Airflow powder uses have Erythritol powder or food powder as the primary component. The powder can easily dissolve in water and is only 14 microns in size, making it gentle for the gum and teeth.
Airflow technology eliminates patient’s concerns about pain and dental damage from scaling during the treatment. The latest technology also results in smoother and shinier tooth surface that can be noticed during every visit of your dental care.
Recommendations after receiving GBT
As clean tooth surface can easily pick up stains from the disclosing gels, it is recommended to abstain from drinking or eating colored food for at least 3 hours after receiving the treatment. The food includes tea, coffee, soft drinks, soy sauce, red curry, etc.
