A gentler, more thorough clean with Guided Biofilm Therapy on our Swiss-made EMS system: warm water, air and an ultra-fine powder instead of lots of scraping.
4.6 from 300+ Google reviews
New patient offer
New to Pearly Whites? Your first hygiene appointment is £97, and we’ll upgrade it to a full Guided Biofilm Therapy clean with AIRFLOW, normally £129, at no extra cost. It’s the best way to see why our patients don’t dread the hygienist any more.
At a glance
What is GBT?
Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) is a modern way of cleaning teeth, developed by EMS in Switzerland from decades of clinical research and now used by dental practices around the world. We use EMS’s GBT machine at Pearly Whites, and all three of our hygienists have trained with EMS’s Swiss Dental Academy.
Instead of relying on metal instruments to scrape your teeth, AIRFLOW uses a jet of warm water, air and a fine, pleasant-tasting erythritol powder to lift away the biofilm (the sticky layer of bacteria that causes gum disease and decay), along with stains and early tartar. Only the stubborn tartar left behind is removed with a fine ultrasonic tip.
First, we use a disclosing solution that colours the plaque, so you and your hygienist can see exactly where it is, and nothing gets missed. Most patients find it far more comfortable than a traditional scale and polish, and leave with teeth that feel glassy-smooth.
Your appointment
Every GBT appointment follows the same proven protocol, so nothing is missed.
Your hygienist checks your teeth and gums for bleeding, inflammation and pockets, to spot gum disease early.
A harmless vegetable-based dye colours the biofilm, so you can both see exactly where it builds up. Older, thicker plaque shows up in a different shade.
With the plaque visible, you get simple, specific advice on the areas your brushing misses.
Warm water, air and a fine erythritol powder gently remove the biofilm and stains from your teeth, between them and along the gums.
A slim nozzle cleans biofilm out of any deeper pockets around the gums.
A fine ultrasonic tip removes any hard tartar left, only where it’s needed.
Your hygienist makes sure all the biofilm and tartar has gone.
We recommend when to come back, usually every 3 to 6 months, to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Why GBT?
| Feature | GBT with AIRFLOW | Traditional scale and polish |
|---|---|---|
| How it cleans | Warm water, air and ultra-fine powder, with an ultrasonic tip only where needed | Metal instruments and a gritty polishing paste |
| Comfort | Gentle, with far less scraping | More scraping and vibration |
| Seeing the plaque | Disclosing shows every area that needs cleaning | Usually not used |
| Stains | Coffee, tea, wine and smoking stains lifted away | Partly polished off |
| Implants, veneers and braces | Safe to use around them | More care needed |
| How teeth feel after | Glassy-smooth | Clean |
Who it’s for
Even with great brushing, plaque hardens into tartar in places you can’t reach. Regular cleans stop gum disease and decay before they start.
Both are often early signs of gum disease. Your hygienist can clean below the gum line and help you get it under control.
Gum disease treatment →If you’ve avoided the hygienist because it hurt, GBT is a different experience. Tell us, and we’ll go at your pace.
AIRFLOW cleans gently around dental work and orthodontics, including Invisalign attachments, to protect your investment.
A GBT clean first removes the biofilm and stains, so whitening and bonding give their best results.
We see children too, with gentle cleans and a focus on building good habits early.
Your hygienists
Dental Hygienist & Therapist
Trained in Guided Biofilm Therapy by EMS’s Swiss Dental Academy. Chantel also has a special interest in composite bonding, and loves getting to know her patients over the years.
Read Chantel’s bio →Dental Hygienist & Therapist
Trained in Guided Biofilm Therapy by EMS’s Swiss Dental Academy. Jade focuses on prevention and on helping even the most nervous patients feel at ease.
Read Jade’s bio →Dental Hygienist
Trained in Guided Biofilm Therapy by EMS’s Swiss Dental Academy. Opal gives gentle, thorough cleans and practical advice for healthy gums between visits.
Read Opal’s bio →Prices
PearlyPlan members have their GBT hygiene visits included. Ask us about membership when you book.
The feeling after
Patients often tell us their teeth have never felt cleaner. With the biofilm and surface stains gone, teeth look brighter and feel glassy-smooth, and gums that bled at the start often settle within a few weeks of regular care.
You’ll leave with a few simple, specific tips for home, not a lecture, and a recommended date for your next visit.
Reviews
I had a fantastic experience at my dental hygiene appointment today. I was warmly welcomed by Graham and received excellent treatment from Dr. Opal and Faizia. The whole team was professional, friendly, and made me feel completely at ease. I can’t wait to come back for my teeth whitening treatment!
Booked an overdue hygiene appointment with Opal based off excellent reviews and really pleased I did. So friendly, calming and informative. Staff on reception were also lovely and helpful.
The hygienist treatment with Opal and Faiza was gentle and effective - highly recommend.
As counterintuitive as it might sound at first, Pearly Whites Dental actually has a hygienist that it is a pleasure to come and see.
The reception was very friendly, which is always a plus considering some of us are always a bit reluctant to go to the dentist.
As for the work itself, Chantel took care of what was a long overdue cleaning of my teeth. Not only did she make sure over our two appointments that it would he as painless as possible, she took time to explain to me how to care for my teeth. Which gave us the possibility to review if it was effective at the second appointment.
Hygiene made into an art!
My local dentist, service is immaculate from reception to dentist/hygienist. Super friendly atmosphere, always make you feel comfortable, has changed my perspective on going to the dentist as I used to be a little scared of them!
Can't recommend enough, and special shoutouts to Lia and Chantal!
Opal was great! She did the airflow too and was very kind and reassuring. Thanks for the hygiene appointment 💗
I went in for a hygiene clean today with Dr Opal and she was so lovely and gentle and made me feel so comfortable! I definitely recommend booking with her if you’re able too! I know I will every time now! :)
Excellent hygienist cleans from Opal. Very professional and empathetic.
It was amazing! The hygienist was very patient, polite and nice and took her time with my son, explaining every step of the procedure. Highly recommend this practice!
The only dentist I've ever actively enjoyed visiting!
I used this dentist in its former guise as Perfect Smile Fulham for many years before Dr Lia and team took the helm. Since then, the practice has been transformed. It is stylish yet welcoming, with a much better layout to ensure visitors can sit and feel comfortable while they wait for their appointment. This sense of calm is Pearly Whites' whole ethos - that each person can feel at ease during their dental treatments and checkups. Dr Lia and Grant have done absolute wonders with the place and I'm so glad to see the practice going to strength to strength and that so many other customers are experiencing what I have since the day I first met Lia to nervously discuss my smile transformation! P.s. I never thought I'd be able to watch episodes of The Office while having a hygienist clean - it made it go by in a flash!
FAQ
At Pearly Whites, a 30-minute Guided Biofilm Therapy clean with AIRFLOW is £129, and a scale and polish is £97. Your first hygiene visit as a new patient is £97 with a free upgrade to GBT and AIRFLOW. GBT hygiene is included in PearlyPlan membership.
Your first hygiene appointment at Pearly Whites is £97, and we upgrade it to a full Guided Biofilm Therapy clean with AIRFLOW, which is normally £129, at no extra cost.
GBT is a cleaning method developed by EMS in Switzerland. AIRFLOW uses warm water, air and an ultra-fine powder to remove biofilm, stains and early tartar, and a fine ultrasonic tip removes any stubborn tartar left. It is gentler than a traditional scale and polish and particularly good around implants, veneers and braces.
It shouldn’t be. Most patients find GBT with AIRFLOW far more comfortable than traditional scaling. If you have sensitive teeth or gums, or you’re nervous, tell your hygienist and they will go at your pace.
If you’re a new patient, we recommend starting with a 30-minute session, and we’ll guide you from there. If you have significant tartar build-up or gum disease, you may need follow-up sessions in the days or weeks after your first appointment to get your gums fully healthy.
Every 3 to 6 months, as advised by your hygienist. If you have gum disease, heavy tartar build-up, diabetes, smoke or are prone to decay, you may benefit from coming more often.
Yes, for most people. Plaque hardens into tartar in places a toothbrush can’t reach, especially below the gum line. Regular professional cleans remove it before it causes gum disease, decay or bone loss.
Often, yes. Bad breath is frequently caused by bacteria, plaque and tartar on the teeth and below the gums. A thorough clean removes them, and your hygienist can check for gum disease and give you targeted advice.
Yes. The fine powder is gentle on implants, crowns, veneers, bonding and orthodontic attachments, which makes GBT a good choice for anyone with dental work.
It’s a harmless, vegetable-based disclosing solution that sticks to the biofilm (plaque) on your teeth, which is otherwise almost invisible. It shows you and your hygienist exactly where plaque is building up, so every bit can be removed and you know which areas to focus on at home.
A fine powder made from erythritol, a naturally derived sugar alcohol, mixed with a jet of warm water and air. It tastes pleasant, is gentle on teeth and gums, and lifts away biofilm and stains.
It’s best to wait about an hour. Cleaning removes the thin protective coating that saliva forms on your teeth, and it takes a little while to build back up. Until it does, teeth pick up stains more easily, so hold off on coffee, tea, red wine and berries.
It removes surface stains from coffee, tea, red wine and smoking, so teeth often look brighter, but it doesn’t change their natural colour. For that, ask us about teeth whitening.
Yes. Hygiene appointments run until 8pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, and we open from 8am.
Your first hygiene visit at Pearly Whites is £97, upgraded free to Guided Biofilm Therapy with AIRFLOW. On Munster Road, Fulham SW6, with evening appointments.
