Advanced Plaque and Biofilm Therapy

Introduction

Maintaining oral health is essential not just for a bright smile, but also for overall well-being. This document compares traditional dental cleaning with Advanced Plaque and Biofilm Therapy (APBT) to help you make an informed decision about your dental care.

What Is Traditional Dental Cleaning?

Also known as scaling and polishing, traditional dental cleaning involves:

• Removing plaque and hardened tartar (calculus) using manual or ultrasonic scalers.

• Polishing teeth with a rotating brush and abrasive paste.
   

Advantages:

 

• Well-established, widely available, and typically covered by dental insurance.

• Effective at removing visible calculus and surface stains.
   

Limitations:

 

• Can be uncomfortable, especially for sensitive teeth.

• Less precise—biofilm (the primary cause of gum disease) may not be fully removed

• Can be abrasive to enamel and soft tissues (Nguyen et al., 2021).
   

What Is Advanced Plaque and Biofilm Therapy?

 

• Using a disclosing agent to highlight biofilm on the teeth.

• Gently removing biofilm with air polishing using erythritol or glycine powder.

• Performing selective scaling only where necessary.
   

Advantages:

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• Minimally invasive: Comfortable and safe even for sensitive teeth, implants, or orthodontics.

• Targeted and thorough: Biofilm becomes visible, allowing complete removal (Schmidlin et al.,2013).

• Preserves tooth structure: Less abrasive than traditional methods (Petersilka et al., 2008).

• Supports systemic health: Managing oral biofilm helps reduce risk factors associated with heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory issues (Tonetti et al., 2017).

• Better patient experience: Quick, quiet, and leaves a smooth, fresh feeling.

 

Limitations:

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• May not be available at all dental offices.

• May involve higher upfront cost and no insurance coverage.