Airflow Cleaning Aftercare

Your teeth were cleaned with the Swiss-made EMS Airflow system, following the GBT protocol. GBT stands for Guided Biofilm Therapy.

The name sounds technical, but the idea is simple. In a conventional cleaning, the dentist cleans the areas that look dirty. With GBT, the invisible bacterial layer on your teeth is first stained with a special dye to make it visible. That way we do not guess where to clean, we see it. The layer is then removed gently with a spray of warm water, air and fine powder. If you had tartar, it is removed separately with a vibrating tip. At the end your teeth are stained again to check that nothing was missed.

The appointment is over. Your mouth is as clean right now as it will be all year. This page explains how to protect that, which sensations are normal, and when to call us.

Note: This is general information. If your dentist told you something different, follow that.

Know What Was Done

Airflow cleaning is not the same scope for every patient. If you are not sure which applied to you, call us and ask.

If You Have Fillings, Crowns or Veneers

One of the questions we hear most often is whether the spray will scratch crowns or veneers. It will not. Airflow powder is a fine-grained powder made for this purpose and does not damage porcelain, zirconia or composite surfaces. In fact this is exactly why we prefer it for patients with restorations: it removes the risk that metal scaling instruments can pose on those surfaces.

One thing worth knowing: the margins of composite fillings and veneers pick up stain more readily than natural enamel. If you drink a lot of tea or coffee, or you smoke, discolouration will return at those margins sooner than on your natural teeth. This is not a problem, it simply may mean a slightly shorter interval between cleanings. Your dentist will tell you what suits you.

Protecting the Result

These Are Normal, Do Not Worry

These are the calls we get most after a cleaning.

• Feeling more space between your teeth is normal. The tartar and deposits that filled those gaps have been removed, so the spaces are now open. Nothing was ground away and nothing was done between your teeth. Only what should not have been there was taken out. The sensation eases as the gums heal. If a gap remains, the tartar was there because of it, not the other way round.
• Teeth feeling slick and smooth is normal. With the bacterial layer gone, the tooth surface is back to its true texture. It feels like glass when you run your tongue over it. That is a good sign and exactly the result we are after.
• Some gum bleeding for a few days is normal. A gum that bleeds is an inflamed gum. The cleaning removed the cause of the inflammation, but the tissue takes a few days to recover. Keep brushing and the bleeding will decrease and stop. Stopping out of fear does the opposite and drags it out.
• Cold sensitivity for a few days is normal. When tartar is removed, the root surface underneath is exposed for a while. Sensitivity fades as the gum recovers. A desensitising toothpaste will get you through this period.
• A sweetish taste for a few hours is normal. The powder used in the Airflow device is sweet-tasting and does not cause decay. It passes on its own.
• Coughing or a tickly throat during the procedure is normal. Because water, air and powder are sprayed into the mouth, you are exposed to some aerosol. The sensation ends with the procedure. However, if you have asthma or any respiratory condition, or you had difficulty breathing during the appointment, please tell us. We adjust the powder type, your seating position and suction accordingly at future visits.
• Your teeth not being as white as you hoped is normal. Airflow removes stains and deposits and reveals the tooth's own colour. It is not a whitening procedure and cannot make a tooth lighter than its natural shade. If you want a whiter result, teeth whitening is a separate treatment, and it gives its best result on freshly cleaned teeth anyway.
• Mild irritation on your lips or cheeks is normal. With water and powder being sprayed and your mouth held open for a long time, the corners of the lips can dry out and crack. A moisturising cream sorts it out within a day.

Call Us If

• Gum bleeding lasts longer than a week. What we expect is bleeding that decreases each day. If it persists, there may be an area below the gum line that still needs cleaning, and deep cleaning may be required.
• Sensitivity lasts longer than a week or gets worse. Prolonged sensitivity can point to gum recession or decay. We need to look at it, and the fix is usually simple.
• You have gum swelling, pain or a bad smell. These are not expected outcomes of a cleaning. Call us within the same week.
• You have shortness of breath, wheezing or a cough that will not settle after the appointment. This is not expected and we need to know. If your breathing difficulty is getting worse, go to the nearest emergency department without waiting to reach us.
• You developed a cold sore and get them often. In people prone to cold sores, a long dental appointment can trigger one. Let us know and we can take precautions at your future visits.

Why This Matters So Much

• The real problem is not tartar, it is the living bacterial layer on it. An invisible, sticky layer of bacteria called biofilm forms on your teeth. This is what starts gum inflammation and decay. Tartar is its hardened form, and it provides a rough surface for new biofilm to cling to. That is why "biofilm" is in the name of the GBT protocol. The method is built on staining the invisible problem to reveal it first, then removing both at once. If you want to read more, see our article on what biofilm is.
• Biofilm starts rebuilding within 24 hours. Today's cleaning is a starting point, not lasting protection. By tomorrow morning the layer begins to form again. The only things that disrupt it every day are a toothbrush and floss. A cleaning at the clinic does not replace what you do at home, it completes it.
• Wherever the brush cannot reach is uncleaned. A toothbrush reaches roughly two thirds of the tooth surfaces. The rest is where two teeth touch, and that is precisely where most decay begins. Without floss or interdental brushes, those areas are never cleaned at all.
• Gum disease progresses silently. When the bone beneath your gums begins to break down, there is no pain. Most of our patients realise something is wrong once their teeth start to loosen. By that stage, very little can be recovered. Regular check-ups exist to stop the process before it starts.
• If you have implants, cleaning is not optional. An implant cannot decay, but the gum and bone around it can become inflamed. In that situation bone loss progresses faster than around a natural tooth and can end in losing the implant. For patients with dental implants, regular professional cleaning is one of the main factors determining how long the implant lasts.
• Smoking both worsens the problem and hides it. Smoking reduces blood flow to the gums, so they do not bleed. Patients take that as a sign of health while the disease progresses quietly. In smokers, gum disease is both more common and faster to advance.

In Short

• First 2 hours: no coffee, tea, coloured food or cigarettes.
• If fluoride varnish was applied: no food for 4 hours, no brushing or flossing today.
• Feeling gaps between teeth and a few days of bleeding are normal and will pass.
• Do not stop brushing, even if you see bleeding.
• Floss every day. It is the one thing that makes this cleaning last.
• If you have asthma, tell us before your next appointment.
• Book your next visit on your way out.

You can find our other aftercare guides on the Patient Guides page. Book your next cleaning through online booking, or call us on +90 212 823 79 72 with any question.