It’s Hygiene Jim but not as we know it

Hello again, I hope that you are safe and well. Another busy month has flown by. We’ve had some cracking weather which was a welcome change after all the long, drawn-out cold stuff. I’ve never lost my thirst for learning, but this last 2 weeks has been mad with 3 evening courses per weeks. All good stuff though, and a lot of it I’ve done before so very good for reassurance and confirmation. Any new top tips are always an added bonus. As I’ve said before, it’s having tools in your box for different situations.

Lock Down Gum

Getting back to all aspects of dental therapy now for some months, we have noticed quite a few people having a decline in gum health.  We are also seeing many new patients with gum disease.  My son, Edward, leads our gum (hygiene) department and he introduced to me a great bit of equipment that is considered the best on the planet for professional teeth cleaning and gum therapy along with laser therapy for advanced problems.  The kit is expensive at about 6 times more than a conventional ultrasonic scaler but looking at the science and evidence along with the improved patient comfort during use I could not say no, so we got one of the EMS airflow master units.  It was an immediate success for our patients with great feedback.  Edward loves it. 

Then COVID hit and we could not use it.  For a while it was back to old fashioned hand scaling (scraping).  This is better than not cleaning but not as therapeutic or gentle as the Airflow unit.

Good News And Geek Alert

The Airflow unit is back, hoorah.  Again, patients are so pleased about it.  The use of a gentle powder stream to remove staining, biofilm and soft tarter often is enough to do the trick.  If needed an ultrasonic component can be used to remove thicker, more mature tarter.  The unit warms the water to make it more comfortable and the ultrasonic oscillations are set up in such a way to be more efficient with less vibration so improved comfort.  Not only that it had an intelligent sensor that increases the power when needed and then reduces it when not.  This blew my mind.  Is it just me? 

Not A One Trick Pony

The important thing to make gums healthy is to remove plaque bacteria and especially the associated endotoxin that causes inflammation and damage.  Now the bacteria in plaque are not floating about but become a mature biofilm and that is why mouthwashes alone do not work.  Think of the gelatinous biofilm in the pipes in the bathroom. It’s like a little city of gangs of bacteria and wells structured with channels for food in and waste out.  It’s yucky stuff.  The air and powder stream of the airflow very effectively and gently removes the biofilm.

There is another really, great benefit; stain removal.  It removes staining without scratches.  Using harsh abrasives to remove stains causes scratches and roughness that encourages further staining. So, the cycle continues.

The Airflow leaves a smoother surface, so reduces the staining process.