For today’s blog topic, we bring you guided biofilm therapy, which many of you may have heard of, but many of you may not be familiar with the term. It is important that as many of us as possible hear about biofilm, what it is, what can cause it and how we can remove it from the oral cavity.

Let’s get started! Biofilm, also known as dental plaque, is a layer of plaque invisible to the naked eye that forms on hard surfaces above the gums, such as teeth, implants, dentures and braces.

Is the biofilm visible?

Biofilm is barely visible. Millions of good and bad bacteria live in the thin layer that forms on the surface of teeth. They feed on what we eat and are particularly fond of sugar. The bacteria in the biofilm produce acid by breaking down sugar, which causes tooth decay. The biofilm grows daily but is barely visible to the naked eye. It is no wonder that the oral cavity is a favourite entrance for bacteria to enter the body.

What can biofilm cause?

• Tooth decay
• Bad breath
• Tooth loss
• Implant loss
• Gingivitis
• Bleeding gums
• Receding gums

What can be done to remove the biofilm that has already formed?

Regular and complete removal of biofilm will result in healthier teeth and gums. Trendo Dental private dental practice is committed to health-conscious living and technological innovation, and the practice offers the EMS Airflow Prophylaxis Master, the state-of-the-art oral hygiene device for effective removal of plaque and biofilm.

What makes this procedure different from traditional plaque removal?

The procedure is completely painless and minimally invasive. The procedure starts with plaque staining, so that the biofilm layer, calculus and plaque can be precisely visualised and gently but controlled removed with complete efficiency. The procedure uses a mixture of high-pressure air, water and particles of different compositions, such as erythriol particles combined with clorhexidine, to achieve excellent results in both the treatment of the gingival and subgingival areas.

Using the Guided Biofilm method, we achieve 100% plaque-free results, compared to only 85% with conventional polishing brushes.

What are the arguments for Guided Biofilm Therapy?

• Sensitive teeth: Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for people who have very sensitive teeth, for example to cold, to experience dental scaling as an unpleasant procedure. This procedure can avoid this and finally make it possible for patients with more sensitive teeth to have hygienic treatments with confidence and pleasure.
• Discolouration: the most effective method to remove discolouration caused by smoking, coffee, tea, red wine. This will restore the teeth to their original colour, making them whiter.
• Pockets: deep pockets formed in periodontal disease can be cleaned out to a depth of up to 10 mm with this procedure, so in some cases, pocket surgery, curettage, can be prevented or delayed.
• Gingival recession
• Implants: this method is recommended every six months for cleaning implant restorations, it does not damage the implant surface and does not scratch. Preserve the health of your implant with this pleasant and safe cleaning method.
• Dental restorations, crowns, bridges, shells: the most perfect cleaning method, as it does not damage or scratch them, leaving only shiny, silky teeth. Enjoy the result.
• Braces: during treatment, we recommend this very effective solution for removing deposits and tartar around brackets without any discomfort.
• Prevention
• Peri-implantitis: the device offers a special option in cases where initial inflammation develops around the implant. It can be effectively treated with minimal bleeding using Perioflow Plus powder and a special Piezon head, Piezon PI, for removing calculus on implants.
• Instead of traditional tartar removal: it is recommended as an oral hygiene treatment every six months to a year.

What are the steps of Guided Biofilm Therapy?

1. Diagnosis: The first step is the initial diagnosis.
2. Visualisation: the second step is tovisualise the biofilm. A sponge soaked in a dark purple indicator solution is used to brush the teeth, which will discolour the biofilm layer, revealing the dental plaque, or biofilm layer, which is invisible to the naked eye.
3. Motivation: explaining how to brush properly and maintain good oral hygiene at home
4. Airflow: the Airflow procedure is used to remove biofilm, discolouration and immature calculus from the surfaces of implants, dentures or braces, as well as natural teeth. It cleans and polishes teeth with a uniform process.
5. Perioflow: effectively removes biofilm from deeper gum pockets or around implants using Airflow Plus Powder.
6. Piezon: removal of remaining tartar is performed with a No-pain technology piezon slot. It is also gentle, with maximum efficiency while preserving tissue. This plaque removal no longer causes discomfort, no more pain, because the PIEZON head only works when it meets the plaque, avoiding unnecessary contact with the intact tooth surface and therefore unnecessary pain. It can also be used above and below the gums.
7. Check: after the cleaning has been completed, carefully check the surfaces to ensure that all areas have been properly cleaned and that all tartar has been completely removed.
8. Arranging a new appointment: each time we will discuss individually when it is necessary to come for a check-up to prevent more serious dental problems.

We hope that by the end of this blog, you will have a clear understanding of what we mean by biofilm and why it needs to be removed along with the tartar. This dental procedure is not painful, it takes about an hour of your time, but it will do much more for the health of your teeth and oral cavity.

If you have not had this treatment before, we recommend you start shaping your dental health awareness with a Guided Biofilm Therapy at Trendo Dental, a private dental practice.

Tags: Airflow, Biofilm, Control, EMS device, Plaque removal