AIRFLOW® Dental Cleaning

If you think a dental cleaning has to involve extensive scraping, polishing paste, and uncomfortable instrumentation, there is another approach.

At Siesta Dental Implant & Family Dentistry, we use advanced AIRFLOW® technology to remove dental biofilm, plaque, and surface stains using a controlled stream of warm water, air, and fine powder.

For many patients, the result is a cleaning that feels gentler, more comfortable, and remarkably thorough.

What Is AIRFLOW®?

AIRFLOW is an advanced form of air polishing designed primarily to remove dental biofilm — the organized layer of bacteria that accumulates on teeth, around the gumline, and around dental restorations.

Unlike traditional polishing, which typically uses a rotating rubber cup and abrasive prophylaxis paste, AIRFLOW uses a precisely controlled combination of: Air + Warm Water + Fine Powder to disrupt and remove biofilm and stains from areas that can be difficult to access with conventional polishing alone.

Depending on your periodontal condition, AIRFLOW may be combined with ultrasonic or hand instrumentation when calculus is present.

The important distinction is that AIRFLOW does not simply replace every dental instrument. Calculus — hardened deposits attached to the teeth — may still require ultrasonic or hand scaling. AIRFLOW is particularly effective at removing the soft bacterial biofilm covering the teeth and restorations. Once biofilm is removed, our dental team can more clearly identify areas where calculus remains and selectively instrument those areas.

Why We Focus on Biofilm

Plaque isn’t simply “dirt” on your teeth. Dental plaque is a structured bacterial biofilm. Controlling this biofilm is an essential component of preventing and managing:

• Gingivitis
• Periodontal disease
• Tooth decay
• Inflammation around dental implants
• Staining and plaque accumulation around restorations

Our goal is therefore not simply to make your teeth feel smooth. We want to systematically remove the bacterial biofilm responsible for oral disease.

What Does the Research Show?

AIRFLOW and modern air-polishing techniques have been evaluated in randomized clinical trials and systematic reviews.

• Comparable Clinical Effectiveness: A 2023 systematic review examining 14 studies compared air-polishing devices with conventional periodontal maintenance using hand and/or ultrasonic instrumentation. Researchers found that both approaches produced similar clinical outcomes, while air polishing demonstrated favorable patient-centered outcomes and potentially improved antimicrobial effects.
• Patients Often Find It More Comfortable: A systematic review examining patient perception during periodontal treatment found that discomfort was consistently equal or lower with glycine- or erythritol-based air polishing compared with hand or ultrasonic instrumentation.
• Shorter Treatment Time: A randomized controlled clinical trial compared a biofilm-removal protocol using erythritol AIRFLOW and piezoelectric instrumentation with conventional scaling and root planing during periodontal maintenance. The AIRFLOW-based protocol was approximately 15% faster, with an average reduction of about 5 minutes of treatment time, and patients rated the experience more favorably.

Particularly Helpful for Dental Implants and Restorations

Patients with extensive dental work can benefit from a biofilm-focused cleaning approach. AIRFLOW can be incorporated into professional maintenance around: Dental implants, Implant-supported restorations, Crowns, Bridges, Orthodontic appliances, Retainers, and Other dental restorations.

What Does AIRFLOW Feel Like?

Most patients describe AIRFLOW as very different from a conventional polishing appointment. Instead of spending much of the visit feeling instruments repeatedly scraping or a rubber cup polishing each tooth, you primarily feel a controlled spray of air, warm water, and fine powder moving across the teeth and gumline. For patients who have traditionally disliked dental cleanings because of sensitivity or discomfort, the difference can be significant.

Does AIRFLOW Completely Replace Scaling?

No — and this is important. AIRFLOW removes biofilm and stains. It does not eliminate the need to remove calculus. If hardened calculus is present, we use appropriate ultrasonic or hand instruments to remove it.