Guided biofilm therapy (GBT): The future of dental hygiene?
For those who may not know, guided biofilm therapy is (GBT) is a less invasive way of doing dental hygiene. GBT reduces the amount of instrumentation used, and it focuses more on biofilm management.
Maryam Shamuel came across an office that practices GBT when she moved to Las Vegas a few years ago. During her search for an office that aligned with her priorities, she noticed some that stressed GBT. She was hired in one, and has been a fan of GBT ever since.
She and Annie Walters agree that GBT is the direction of today's dentistry. It's less invasive, it brings back disclosing, it makes oral hygiene instruction more interactive, and it encourages patients to be more proactive in their home care.
All of these reasons make GBT more comfortable for patients and places less strain on clinicians. It gives clinicians more time during each appointment to perform other necessary protocols, such as oral cancer screening and taking the patient's blood pressure, raising the level of care provided.
Maryam explains that GBT removes the root cause of inflammation, and she believes it makes hygiene more enjoyable all around.
Tune into Maryam's and Annie's discussion to learn whether GBT is right for your practice.
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About the podcast
RDH Magazine Podcast is the community of voices you love from RDH magazine, brought to your podcast feed every week. You can expect to gain education and have the RDH magazine community in your ears to complement the content you enjoy online and in print each month.
About the Author
Maryam Shamuel, RDH
Maryam Shamuel, RDH, has worked in dentistry for 14 years and has been in clinical practice for the past 10. Her passion lies in disease prevention and in elevating patient care. Maryam educates patients on the oral-systemic connection enjoys mentoring fellow hygienists. She aspires to make a meaningful impact on the quality of patient care in a nonclinical role in the future. Contact Maryam at [email protected].
Updated October 23, 2023
Annie Walters, MS, RDH
Annie Walters, MSDH, RDH, has extensive experience as an oral health-care provider. She has spent time caring for individuals in Guatemala and Indian Health Service sites and is passionate about advancing access to care for individuals with specialized health care needs. She is a published author and is trained in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy. Annie received her graduate degree from the University of New Mexico and currently serves as an assistant clinical professor at Northern Arizona University. Reach her at [email protected].