When Parag Kachalia, DDS, first encountered Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT) at the IDS meeting in Germany in 2017, he saw more than just an innovative hygiene protocol—he saw the future of preventive care.
Developed by EMS, GBT is an evidence-based, modular preventive protocol featuring the AIRFLOW® Prophylaxis Master air abrasion unit as a way to identify and remove oral biofilm. Patient education is a key part of the protocol, and the AIRFLOW system is designed for enhanced patient comfort throughout treatment.
A few years later, after reinforcing what he had learned through the Kois Center curriculum, Dr. Kachalia was ready to bring GBT and the AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master into his San Ramon, California, practice. Now, more than 5 years later, the technology has become a central part of both clinical care and patient communication.
Dr. Kachalia’s private practice reflects his broader commitment to blending advanced dental technologies with a personalized, patient-first philosophy. Drawing on more than 20 years of clinical experience, academic involvement, and leadership in innovation, he strives to ensure every patient feels informed, comfortable, and confident in their care.
Reflecting on his decision to implement GBT, Dr. Kachalia says, “I think for me, it was when the research and the product innovation finally came together. That’s when it made sense to integrate GBT into our practice.”
His implementation wasn’t gradual. Instead, his team took an “all-in” approach, beginning with a half-day in-office training led by an EMS educator. Every clinician experienced GBT firsthand before offering it to patients. This not only accelerated the learning curve but also created buy-in from the entire team. This helped them with learning the technique, as well as with explaining it to patients.
Traditionally, hygiene visits focus on mechanical removal of plaque and calculus. With GBT, the appointment begins with biofilm disclosure, giving both patient and provider a visual roadmap for care.
“People are starting to understand biofilms, and nobody wants biofilm in their mouth from a negative perspective,” Dr. Kachalia says. “It’s almost like a GPS navigation for us as well to see where the hidden bacteria may be.”
The protocol has also streamlined operations. While the disclosing step and retraction can extend the beginning of the appointment, the precision of the AIRFLOW unit reduces overall instrumentation time. In Dr. Kachalia’s practice, traditional one-hour hygiene appointments now include 10 to 15 minutes less clinical instrumentation, freeing time for patient education and relationship building.
“Patients for the most part have been very intrigued,” he notes. “They love the fact that we don’t have to physically scale quite as much.”
Beyond efficiency, comfort has been a key differentiator for patients. The unit’s built-in water warming function minimizes sensitivity complaints, and the fine erythritol powder used during AIRFLOW treatment is significantly gentler than traditional scaling. The result is not only less discomfort, but patients leave with teeth that feel smoother than with conventional methods, he says.
GBT has become the standard of care for all of his patients. It has proven especially effective with orthodontic cases, where navigating around brackets and wires with traditional instruments is challenging. “In the 5 years we’ve used it, the number of white spot lesions we see post-orthodontics has decreased substantially,” he notes.
The system’s specialized instruments also make it well-suited for implant maintenance, where its gentle approach is kind to ceramics and other restorative materials.
GBT emphasizes minimally invasive, preventive care through a structured, eight-step approach. Early steps like assessment, disclosure, and motivation help clinicians strengthen patient communication and encourage better home care habits. Visualizing biofilm early supports a shift from reactive to proactive treatment. GBT enhances comfort, particularly for patients with sensitivity or restorations, and reduces the need for scaling, resulting in more efficient appointments and improved long-term oral health outcomes.
Dr. Kachalia says that while his primary motivation for adopting GBT and the AIRFLOW unit was the clinical enhancements it could provide, the investment has delivered practice benefits as well. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in efficiency and comfort,” Dr. Kachalia says. “And patients are beginning to seek us out specifically because we’re a certified GBT practice. It’s not hundreds of new patients every month, but it’s a differentiator.”
“I also think because we have more time with our patients, we’re getting more treatment plan acceptance due to the time that is being spent on hygiene for education about future therapy,” he says.
As patients grow more aware of biofilm’s role in oral and systemic health, Dr. Kachalia believes demand for GBT will only grow. He likens the shift to the adoption of digital impressions—once patients experience the modern approach, it becomes difficult to accept going back. Adopting the AIRFLOW and GBT makes his practice’s hygiene department look modern and patient-focused, which are beneficial to the practice over the long-term.
“I do think there’s a clinical benefit. There’s also a marketing benefit in showing that oral health care has moved forward, even in the hygiene space,” he says.
For clinicians considering GBT, his recommendation is clear: commit as a team. He advises interested practices to take that half day of training as a practice and experience it together.
“Yes, there’s a learning curve and yes, there’s an investment. But this isn’t just about replacing a scaler—it’s about unlocking a new way to deliver care,” he explains.
He also highlights ergonomic benefits, an often-overlooked factor. “Over the course of a career, reducing hand fatigue and eye strain matters,” he says.
For Dr. Kachalia, adopting the AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master and Guided Biofilm Therapy has transformed hygiene from a routine cleaning into a modern, patient-engaging experience—one that enhances outcomes, efficiency, and practice growth.
EMS
www.ems-dental.com
972-690-8382
Figures and Images
AIRFLOW® Prophylaxis Master
