It’s Cleaning Jim But Not As We Know It!

Hello again, I hope you are well. My trip to Frankfurt the other week was really good, I learned a lot and am inspired to learn more. I was at a meeting of the German orthopaedic orthodontic society and was the only Brit in the room. I’m used to it now! I got a bit of stick about Brexit from the Australian guy who was presenting his PhD. Hey ho.

It’s All About The Biofilm

The biofilm is the layer of bacterial colonisation if not removed effectively, on a daily basis, from the teeth. Think of a sink or shower drain at home. You get a gel like build up that is difficult to remove at times. That’s a biofilm on a bigger scale. The biofilm in the mouth is like a mini city of different bacterial colonies that work together for the common good of the biofilm. There are inlets for nutrients and outlets for waste and toxins. Most mouthwashes do not work on a mature biofilm very well at all. You have to mechanically remove it.

Complex oral biofilm that causes gum disease and decay

Hygiene Therapy

A dental hygienist or hygiene therapist is part of the dental team who has several roles. Amongst these many roles are: being your dental health personal trainer and coach to try and get you to Olympic gold medal standard in oral health; another is to remove the tartar and plaque (biofilm) build up to treat and prevent gum disease and prevent decay as well as stain removal. 

The old fashioned way is to scrape with hand scalers but this is not as effective or therapeutic than modern methods and can lead to teeth being more sensitive in the long run. Then came ultra sonic scalers that vibrate at high frequency with water spray and disrupt the tartar and biofilm to remove them well and with less trauma to the teeth. The water is at room temperature and some people can find it a bit sensitive without being numbed up. This followed by a polish with a brush or rubber cup with a fine abrasive paste. Does this all sound familiar?

A Better Way

We are always looking for better at Castle Park Dental Care. We have taken on board the new research and listened to world leaders in this field. We have adopted the Guided Biofilm Protocol (GBT) and invested in some absolutely fantastic new equipment, the EMS Airflow.  

Warm Water

The system actually warms the water so we can say goodbye to temperature sensitivity. The biofilm and thin or loose tartar is removed with a gentle jet of soluble particles (Air Flow). Any remaining tartar can then be removed with the ultrasonic cleaner. The ultrasonic is different as it has less chatter/vibration and again has warmed water. The final polish is with the Air Flow, which is gentle and leaves a smoother tooth surface that reduces stain build up as quick.

Great Response

Even people that have always insisted on a ‘hand scale’ have been converted and are thrilled to bits about the new treatment with Air Flow and GBT. That’s where we get our kicks, healthier in a more gentle way.Until next time. Take care and be good.