Gentle Dental Cleanings with Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT)

Experience the next generation of teeth cleanings in Monterey with Guided Biofilm Therapy, a modern approach designed to be gentler, more effective, and more comfortable than traditional methods.

Regular teeth cleanings are an essential part of keeping your smile healthy. Even if it’s been a while since your last dental visit, you’ve probably been getting your teeth cleaned since you were young, and it might seem like not much has changed over the years. If you’re ready to experience the next evolution in gentle dental cleanings in Monterey, you’ve come to the right place!

Teeth cleanings were due for an update, and guided biofilm therapy (GBT) is here to deliver. What is guided biofilm therapy? How is GBT different from a standard teeth cleaning? And what should you expect at your next visit with our team? Let’s take a look!

What Is Guided Biofilm Therapy?

GBT is an advanced way to remove harmful plaque (also called biofilm), tartar, and stains without damaging your enamel or irritating your gums. It uses a special dye to highlight buildup, followed by a gentle air polisher and ultrasonic tools to clean your teeth with minimal discomfort. To understand GBT, it may be helpful to learn about biofilm and the goals of a dental cleaning first.

What Is Biofilm?

Biofilm is a sticky buildup created by a colony of microbes (usually bacteria). Mildew is a familiar example of a biofilm. As you’re probably aware from cleaning your shower, biofilms can be very hard to remove. That’s because the microbes living in the biofilm excrete a substance called matrix, which is a glue-like gel that delivers nutrients to the bacteria and protects them from damage.

Plaque is another example of a biofilm, which is fortunately a little easier to get rid of than mildew. However, if it’s not thoroughly disrupted a couple of times each day (which is why we recommend brushing every morning and every night), plaque allows more damaging types of bacteria to move in.

It also absorbs minerals from your saliva and hardens, creating tartar (called calculus in dentistry), which is a rough, stone-like substance that damages the gums and allows even more bacteria to stick to your teeth. Unfortunately, calculus can’t be thoroughly removed at home. But that’s what we’re here for!

How Do We Remove Biofilm During a Teeth Cleaning?

The goal of a professional dental cleaning is to remove plaque, tartar, and stains from the teeth. We do this to keep your smile looking great and prevent tooth decay and gum disease by keeping bacteria under control.

There are several instruments for removing buildup from the teeth:

• Hand Instruments: You’re probably familiar with scalers, which people sometimes call “scrapers.” These are the small metal blades that gently shave hardened deposits from the teeth, leaving a smooth surface.
• Ultrasonic Scalers: An ultrasonic scaler is a narrow, rounded tip that uses high-frequency vibrations and water to break up deposits and flush them away.
• Polishing Cup: A polishing cup is a small rubber or silicone disk that spins to remove stains and leftover plaque using abrasive paste.
• Air Polisher: An air polisher uses a pressurized stream of air with water and very fine powder to gently remove plaque, stains, and “loose” calculus (which is tartar that hasn’t hardened very much).

Depending on your specific situation, your dental cleaning may be preventive (called prophylaxis) or therapeutic. In both a traditional cleaning and GBT, the goal is to remove biofilm and provide the right environment for healthy teeth and gums.

If the goal hasn’t changed, how is guided biofilm therapy different from the teeth cleanings you’re used to?

How Is GBT Different from a Traditional Dental Cleaning?

Traditional cleanings rely more on scraping and polishing with abrasive tools. GBT starts with showing you where plaque builds up, helping you improve your brushing at home. Then we use gentler tools to remove buildup with less scraping and discomfort.

GBT allows us to minimize the use of ultrasonic scalers and hand instruments by flipping the routine on its head, starting with an in-depth look at the biofilm on your teeth.

What to Expect from a Gentle Teeth Cleaning with Our Team

We understand that you’re probably accustomed to dental cleanings going the familiar way. It can be uncomfortable to switch things up, so here is what to expect when you see us for a gentle dental cleaning in Monterey!

1. We’ll show you where the plaque is. The first step in GBT is to apply a specialized dye called disclosing solution, which sticks to plaque and tartar so they’re easy to see. This allows us to show you any areas you’re missing so you can do a better job at home. It also helps your dental hygienist ensure that they are completely removing all biofilm.

2. We’ll use the air polisher to gently remove plaque, stains, and young calculus (tartar that’s not very hardened) above and below the gumline.

3. We’ll use an ultrasonic to break up any hardened deposits that are too tough for the air polisher. Then, we’ll spot clean with hand instruments only where necessary. This process allows us to keep hand scaling to a minimum, giving you a more comfortable teeth cleaning.

In general, most people find this process far more comfortable than the old way of doing dental cleanings. However, we understand that it’s different, and many people may wonder why we’ve changed things up!

Why Switch to GBT for Teeth Cleanings?

GBT has several benefits compared to traditional teeth cleanings:

• More comfortable, especially for sensitive teeth
• Less risk of enamel damage
• Helps you see where you can improve at-home care
• Scientifically proven to be safe and effective

Your Comfort Matters

Not ready to change it up? No problem! We’re happy to tailor your cleaning to what works best for you. You can always let our team know if a particular instrument bothers you, or if you have any questions about our recommendations or methods.

We understand that many people may feel hesitant about changes to their usual routine during a teeth cleaning. However, our team works hard to stay at the forefront of improvements in dental techniques and technology.

GBT is a proven method that’s been evolving since the seventies. The most recent development has been thoroughly researched and practiced since 2016 with excellent results. That said, we always want to help you feel confident making informed decisions about your care, and can frequently adapt our approach for your comfort.

Meet Our Skilled Dental Hygienists!

At Monterey Peninsula Dental Group, our expert team is trained in the latest GBT techniques to keep your smile healthy and bright with less stress and more comfort. Your smile deserves the best, and our cutting-edge teeth cleanings in Monterey are a key part of how we deliver the highest quality care. Get in touch to schedule your next visit today!