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Everyday dentistry · EMS Airflow
A hygienist appointment at Sardinia House in Holborn is a professional clean and gum health check with Vaida Vitkeviciute or Sarah Waters, our dental hygienists and therapists. Our hygienists work with Guided Biofilm Therapy and EMS Airflow: warmed water and a fine powder clear plaque and staining first, so instruments are needed far less. One visit of around 45–60 minutes. Guide fee from £100.
Guide fee
From £100
Visits
One, repeated as advised
Appointment length
Around 45–60 minutes
With
Vaida Vitkeviciute or Sarah Waters
Who it is for
Gums that bleed are gums that are inflamed, and the usual cause is plaque sitting just below the gum line where a brush does not reach. A hygienist removes it, shows you where it was, and helps you keep it away.
Surface stain dulls teeth that are otherwise healthy. Airflow lifts it with a jet of warm water and fine powder, so the natural shade of the enamel comes back without anything abrasive being used on it.
Cosmetic work should start on clean, healthy foundations. We usually suggest a hygiene visit before whitening so the gel works evenly, and before aligners so the gums are settled when treatment begins.
If you have had gum treatment in the past, regular hygiene visits are what keep it stable. The interval is set to you: some people need to be seen every three months, others once or twice a year.
The difference
Guided Biofilm Therapy begins with a disclosing dye that colours the plaque so that both of us can see it. The clean is directed at what is actually there, and you leave knowing which areas your brushing misses.
The EMS Airflow handpiece uses warm water, air and a very fine powder to lift biofilm and stain from teeth, gums and around implants and brackets. Hand or ultrasonic instruments are kept for the hardened tartar that remains.
Because most of the work is done by water and powder rather than metal, the appointment is usually more comfortable than a conventional scale and polish, and gums that are inflamed are treated more kindly.
Our hygienists work alongside the dentists. If they notice early decay, a worn edge or a gum pocket that needs more than cleaning, it is flagged to your dentist and, where needed, to Dr Tara Khayatpoor, who leads our gum care.
The process
We look at your gums, measure any pockets where needed and note bleeding, recession and areas of concern. Any implants, crowns or veneers are recorded so that they are cleaned in the right way.
A harmless dye shows up plaque in colour. It is a useful moment: most people are surprised by where it collects, and that becomes the basis for the brushing advice at the end.
Warm water and fine powder remove the disclosed biofilm and stain from every surface, above and just below the gum line. It feels like a firm, warm spray rather than scraping.
Hardened deposits that the Airflow cannot shift are removed with a fine ultrasonic tip or hand instrument. Because the biofilm has already gone, there is far less of this stage than there used to be.
We check that every surface is clean, then show you the technique and the tools, brush, interdental brushes or floss, that suit your mouth. You are told when to come back, and why.
Afterwards
Your teeth may feel smoother and slightly sensitive for a day or so, especially if tartar was removed from below the gum line. Keep to the brushing and interdental routine we showed you, as that is what holds the result between visits. If gums were inflamed, a little bleeding in the first few days is normal and usually settles as they heal.
Guide fees
Guide fees. Nothing is started until your plan, with every fee written down, is in your hands. See all fees
Who provides it
Good to know
At Sardinia House a hygienist maintenance appointment is £100, a hygienist treatment appointment £175, and a full Guided Biofilm Therapy clean £195. A diamond air polish can be added for £35. We will tell you which is right for you before you book.
It should not. Airflow does most of the cleaning with warm water and powder, which feels like a firm spray. If you have sensitive teeth or inflamed gums, tell us, and we can adjust the pressure and temperature or use a little numbing gel where needed.
It is a structured way of cleaning teeth that starts by colouring the plaque so it can be seen, then removes it with the EMS Airflow system before any scraping. Instruments are kept for stubborn tartar only. It was developed to be gentler and more thorough than the traditional scale and polish.
Surface stain from tea, coffee, wine and smoking usually lifts well with Airflow. Discolouration within the tooth, or on old fillings and crowns, will not change with cleaning. If that is what bothers you, whitening or replacing the restoration are the routes to discuss.
For most people, every six months. If you have had gum disease, wear braces or have implants, we may suggest every three or four months. The interval is reviewed each time you come.
Yes. Hygienists and therapists can see patients directly. We do recommend keeping your check-ups current as well, since a hygiene visit is a clean and a gum assessment rather than a full dental examination.
Yes. The powder is fine enough to clean around implants, bonded restorations and orthodontic brackets without scratching them, which is one reason we prefer it to older polishing pastes. Let us know what you have and we clean accordingly.
A hygienist appointment at Sardinia House in Holborn lasts around 45 to 60 minutes. The hygienist checks the health of your gums, the EMS Airflow removes biofilm and staining, any remaining tartar is cleared and the teeth are polished. You leave with advice tailored to what was found.
Yes, for most people. A check-up looks for problems; the hygienist removes the plaque and tartar that cause them and that a toothbrush cannot reach. Our hygienists and therapists can also provide teeth whitening, so the visit can do more than a clean.
Related treatments
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Book online at any time, or call and speak to someone who will remember you.
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