Who this is for
- You wear braces or aligners, and plaque collects around the brackets, wires or attachments.
- You have implants, crowns or a bridge, and want the film cleaned from places a toothbrush and floss miss.
- You have coffee, tea, red wine or tobacco stain and want your teeth back to their own color.
- Your gums are tender, and a cleaning with a rubber cup and paste has been uncomfortable.
What we do at our office
Airflow cleaning is done in our office by a dental hygienist.
The unit we use is made by EMS.
What happens at the visit
- Check-up first. We examine your teeth and gums, ask about your health and medicines, and decide what the cleaning should include. If the gums need deep cleaning, that comes first.
- Air polishing. You wear protective glasses while the spray works around each tooth, along the gumline and around brackets, implants and crowns. Suction removes the water and powder as it goes. Most people feel a light spray and warm water.
- Tartar, if there is any. Hardened tartar does not come off with air polishing; it is removed with ultrasonic or hand instruments.
- Your plan. We show you where film was building up, how to clean there at home, and when to come back.
What the research shows
- Gum maintenance. For people coming back after gum treatment, reviews of the trials found air polishing about as effective as cleaning with hand or ultrasonic instruments, and more comfortable for many patients.
- Comfort. Glycine and erythritol powders were linked with less discomfort during cleaning, and glycine powder was found safe for root surfaces and gums.
- Braces. In a 2026 trial, air polishing removed about twice as much plaque around fixed braces as brushing instruction alone, as an extra to home care, not a replacement for it.
- Implants. At implants with early gum inflammation, glycine air polishing worked about as well as the usual cleaning; the evidence for routine implant maintenance is still limited.
Who should tell us first
- A low-sodium diet, high blood pressure or kidney disease. The older sodium bicarbonate powders are not used for you; low-sodium powders are.
- Asthma or another breathing condition. The spray makes a fine mist, so strong suction matters; tell us before we start.
- Veneers, white fillings or bonding on front teeth. Even gentle powders can take a little shine off them, so they are polished with care.
Risks and limits
- Air polishing removes soft film and stain; it does not remove hardened tartar, and it does not treat gum disease below the gumline.
- It brings back your teeth’s own color but does not whiten them; for a lighter shade, see teeth whitening.
- Gums that are already inflamed may bleed a little or feel tender for a day.
- Rarely, a spray aimed into a deep gum pocket can push air under the gum and cause swelling; the spray is aimed and set to avoid it.
Questions patients ask
Does Airflow hurt?
Usually not. Most people feel a light, warm spray. Exposed roots can be sensitive; tell us, and we adjust the setting or the powder.
Is it safe with braces, implants or veneers?
Yes, with the right powder and settings: low-abrasive powders are used around implants and brackets, and veneers and white fillings are polished with care.
Is it the same as a regular cleaning?
It replaces the rubber cup and paste for removing film and stain. Hardened tartar still needs ultrasonic or hand instruments, so Airflow is part of a cleaning, not the whole of it. See teeth cleaning and check-ups.
Does it cost more, and does insurance cover it?
Most dental plans cover a preventive cleaning; whether they pay for air polishing as part of it varies. We do not accept dental insurance for adults.
Sources
- Graumann, Sensat, Stoltenberg: Air polishing, a review of current literature (2013)
- Systematic review: Effects of air polishing devices on oral tissues (2016)
- Systematic review: Patient perception of air polishing in periodontal treatment (2016)
- Systematic review and meta-analysis: Air polishing in supportive periodontal therapy (2018)
- Systematic review and meta-analysis: Erythritol powder air polishing (2022)
- Systematic review: Air polishing for peri-implant diseases (2015)
- Systematic review and meta-analysis: Air polishing in periodontal and implant maintenance (2022)
- Randomised trial: Air polishing with fixed orthodontic appliances (2026)
AIRFLOW® is a trademark of EMS (Electro Medical Systems).
Request a visit
Book a check-up and cleaning and ask for Airflow; we are at 16690 Collins Avenue, Suite 701, Sunny Isles Beach, serving Aventura and greater Miami.