A gentler alternative to a scale and polish. Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) uses AirFlow warm water and fine powder to remove plaque and stains, and is safe for implants, braces and bonding.
GBT is our advanced hygiene appointment. Anyone can book it, and for some people it is clearly the better choice of the two.
Tea, coffee or wine drinkers who notice stainingAirFlow lifts surface staining that a toothbrush cannot shift, so the teeth look cleaner and brighter after a single visit.
People with implants, braces or bondingWarm water and fine powder clean around implant crowns, brackets and the edges of composite bonding without scratching them.
Patients with gum disease or bleeding gumsBiofilm is removed above and below the gumline, which is where gum inflammation starts and where it needs to be kept under control.
Sensitive teethLess scraping and warm rather than cold water make GBT particularly suitable if a traditional scale and polish sets your teeth on edge.
Anyone who wants a more comfortable hygiene visitIf you have put off the hygienist because you found it unpleasant, GBT is the appointment designed to change your mind.
Before whitening or a big occasionRemoving stain and plaque first gives whitening gel a clean surface to work on, and is the quickest way to freshen a smile before a wedding or an interview.
Prefer a standard clean? Our standard hygiene appointment is the routine scale and polish, and it is booked on the same page.
Three different things get lumped together as having your teeth cleaned. They do different jobs, and the right one depends on what is bothering you.
Advanced hygiene (GBT)
Warm-water AirFlow removes biofilm, plaque and surface staining, with an ultrasonic clean for any remaining deposits. Gentler than scraping and safe around implants, braces and bonding. The best choice for stained teeth, sensitive teeth and anyone with dental work to protect.
Standard hygiene
Professional scaling and polishing with personalised oral hygiene advice. Ideal for routine maintenance when your gums are healthy and staining is not a concern.
Stain removal cleans the surface of the tooth. Whitening changes the colour of the enamel itself. If your teeth are clean but still yellower than you would like, whitening is the answer, and a GBT visit first gives it the best start.
Not sure which you need? Book the GBT appointment and your hygienist will tell you honestly whether the staining has come off, or whether what is left is the natural shade of your teeth and whitening would help.
Your appointment
How does GBT work?
We are a GBT certified practice, and Guided Biofilm Therapy follows a set sequence, which is what makes it thorough. Here is what happens at your advanced hygiene appointment.
In the surgery at Crow Road.GBT explained.
1RevealYou see what is being removed. A harmless disclosing dye shows exactly where plaque (biofilm) is sitting before cleaning starts; you see it in the mirror, and so does your hygienist, which makes the cleaning targeted rather than guesswork and shows you the areas your brushing misses.
2AirFlowWarm water and fine powder gently remove plaque and stains above and below the gums. This is the part most people notice as the difference from a traditional clean.
3Ultrasonic cleanA precise, comfortable polish removes any remaining deposits. Because the AirFlow has already done most of the work, this stage is short.
4AdviceWe show you the best brushing and flossing tips to keep gums healthy at home, based on where the dye showed plaque collecting.
Afterwards your teeth feel smooth and look cleaner, and the dye rinses away completely. You can eat and drink as normal; going easy on tea, coffee and red wine for the rest of the day helps the result last.
Nervous about the dentist? There is no drilling and no injection. The water is warm, the hygienist explains each stage before it starts, and you can ask for a break at any point.
Nothing: both hygiene appointments are fixed prices. The £16 difference buys the AirFlow stage: warm water and powder in place of most of the scraping, and stain removal as part of the appointment rather than an extra.
Standard hygiene care is covered by our Denplan monthly plans. Only some plans cover the GBT appointment, so ask at reception if you would like a plan that does.
Efficient and friendly staff, hygienist Ellie Callon is excellent
★★★★★Alistair L
Ellie and colleague were excellent and made me feel very calm and relaxed
★★★★★Anonymous
Take this as an American who has regular cleanings - I've never had a better cleaning in my 20 years in the UK than I have had today with Susan!
★★★★★Medeia Cohan
GBT and AirFlow FAQs
Your questions, answered
Anything we have not covered, ask at your appointment or call the practice on 0141 334 2550.
GBT is a modern hygiene protocol that uses warm-water AirFlow technology to gently remove biofilm, plaque and staining without the discomfort of traditional scraping. Biofilm is the soft film of bacteria that builds up on teeth and along the gumline; left alone it hardens into tartar and causes gum disease. GBT makes it visible with a dye, removes it with AirFlow, and finishes with a short ultrasonic clean.
It does the same job, cleaning the teeth and gums, but in a different way. A traditional scale and polish relies on hand and ultrasonic instruments to scrape deposits off, then a rotating cup to polish. GBT uses a fine stream of warm water and powder to lift biofilm and stain first, so far less scraping is needed and the polish stage is short.
For most people it is noticeably more comfortable than a traditional clean. The water is warm rather than cold, and the powder is fine. You feel a spray against the teeth and gums rather than an instrument. If your gums are inflamed they may feel tender during cleaning, and that usually improves as they become healthier.
At Dentistry @ Jordanhill, the advanced hygiene appointment with GBT is £85. The standard hygiene appointment is £69. Both are fixed prices, shown before you book, and both can be booked directly without a referral.
It removes staining, which often makes teeth look several shades brighter, but it does not change the natural colour of the enamel. If you want your teeth lighter than their natural shade, that is teeth whitening, and we recommend a GBT visit first so the gel works on a clean surface.
Yes. That is one of the main reasons we offer it. Metal instruments can scratch implant surfaces, composite bonding and the margins of veneers and crowns. The AirFlow powder is fine enough to clean these surfaces without marking them, which helps your dental work last and keeps the gums around implants healthy.
Yes. Fixed braces trap plaque around every bracket and wire, and AirFlow reaches around them far more easily than a brush or a scaler. With Invisalign you simply take the aligners out for the appointment. Keeping teeth clean during orthodontic treatment matters, because the white marks plaque can leave around brackets are often permanent.
Most patients benefit from a hygiene visit every 6 months, and GBT can simply be the type of hygiene visit you have. If you have gum disease, implants, braces, or you stain quickly, your hygienist may suggest coming more often. The right interval is agreed with you at the end of each visit.
The AirFlow powder used in GBT is a very fine, low-abrasion powder designed to be gentle on enamel, gums and dental work. It has a mild, slightly sweet taste, rinses away completely, and is suitable for use on sensitive teeth. Tell us about any allergies when you book, as we would with any treatment.
Usually less than after a traditional clean, because there is less scraping at the gumline. Some people notice a little sensitivity to cold for a day or so where tartar has been removed; it settles on its own. A sensitive toothpaste helps if you are prone to it.
Yes. There is no numbness and nothing to wait for. Freshly cleaned enamel picks up stain more easily for a few hours, so if you want the result to last, leave the coffee, tea, red wine and curry until later in the day.
No. As long as your teeth and gums are in reasonable health, you can book the advanced hygiene appointment directly online, whether or not you are a patient of the practice. If your hygienist finds anything that needs a dentist’s attention, they will tell you at the appointment and we can arrange an examination.
AirFlow is for biofilm and surface staining, which is most of what builds up between visits. Tartar (calculus) is plaque that has already hardened onto the tooth, and the water and powder alone will not shift it; that is what the ultrasonic stage of the appointment is for, and it is part of every GBT visit. If you have not had a hygiene appointment for a long time and there is a lot of tartar, especially below the gumline, your hygienist may suggest a second visit to finish the job properly, or a gum assessment with the dentist first.
Next to Jordanhill train station, on bus routes, with parking close by. Ground-floor surgery with disabled access at the front of the practice. Opening hours are in the footer below.
Dentistry @ JordanhillWest End of Glasgow
