Techniques
6 articles
Clinical workflow, protocols, and how-to guides for air polishing and prophylaxis.
How Air Polishing Works: Mechanism & Uses
Complete guide to air polishing in dentistry: how compressed air, water, and powder remove biofilm and staining, plus powder types, equipment, and clinical uses.
Air Polishing Patient Selection Guide
Evidence-based guide to patient selection for air polishing: ideal candidates, contraindications, powder selection, and special clinical considerations.
GBT vs iTOP vs SRP: Protocol Comparison
GBT, iTOP, and Traditional SRP compared. Why the prophylaxis protocol matters more than the equipment, with evidence on outcomes and patient experience.
Subgingival Air Polishing Guide
How to safely use air polishing below the gumline — powder selection, nozzle technique, pocket-depth thresholds, and contraindications for periodontal patients.
Biofilm Disclosing: Workflow & Products
Guide to biofilm disclosing as a prophylaxis best practice: clinical evidence, workflow integration, and a comparison of the leading disclosing products.
Ultrasonic Scaling vs Air Polishing
Ultrasonic scaling vs air polishing: why they are complementary, not competing. Evidence-based look at when each tool wins and how to sequence both in GBT.
Science
8 articles
Clinical evidence, randomized trials, and peer-reviewed research on prophylaxis.
Patient Dental Anxiety in 2025: Delta Dental Data
Delta Dental Institute's October 2025 report: 21% of US adults have avoided dental care because of anxiety, and 59% of them cite fear of pain. What that means for comfort-led prophylaxis.
Air Polishing for Peri-Implantitis: 2026 BMC RCT
Dai et al. 2026 (BMC Oral Health 26:192, DOI 10.1186/s12903-026-07721-z) randomized 40 stage III/IV periodontitis patients with peri-implantitis to submarginal erythritol air-polishing vs ultrasonic+manual debridement. Comparable PPD at 3 months; significantly lower mSBI; keratinized mucosa width ≥ 2 mm raised odds of success by ~9.8×.
Air Polishing and Aerosol Contamination: 2025 Evidence
A 2025 observational study by Mensi et al. (Int J Dent Hyg, DOI 10.1111/idh.12881) found air polishing did not increase airborne bacterial counts above the empty-clinic baseline of 1.45 CFU/L. Turbine cavity prep with low-volume evacuation produced the highest contamination at 7.38 CFU/L.
Can You Use Air Polishing on Implants? Evidence & Protocols
Yes — glycine and erythritol are safe on titanium and evidence-supported for implant maintenance. Sodium bicarbonate is not. What Delucchi 2025 and Bi 2023 show, and the EU-specific powder rule that matters in practice.
Is Air Polishing Safe? Clinical Evidence
Evidence-based review of air polishing safety: what published studies show about enamel abrasion, soft-tissue effects, implant surfaces, and contraindications.
Sodium Bicarbonate on Implants: Surface Evidence
What the published evidence says about using sodium bicarbonate air polishing around dental implants — titanium surface effects, peri-implantitis, and safer alternatives.
Erythritol vs Glycine: Clinical Evidence
Clinical review of erythritol vs glycine air polishing powders. Evidence from recent randomized trials and meta-analyses on efficacy, safety, and selection.
Patient Comfort During Prophylaxis
Evidence-based review of patient comfort during dental prophylaxis: what studies show about discomfort, pain perception, and preferred treatment methods.
Equipment
17 articles
Independent reviews, buyer's guides, troubleshooting, and comparisons for air polishers and ultrasonic scalers.
Air Polishing Market 2026: Who Plays in the Category?
Precedence Research puts the global air polishing systems market at USD 953.98 million in 2026. How the segment splits, which eight brands make up the player tier, and where growth is concentrating.
Combined Tabletop Systems — Buyer's Guide
Pillar comparison of EMS AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master, Mectron Combi Touch, and NSK Varios Combi Pro2. Specs, ex-VAT pricing, workflow fit, and a 10-point procurement checklist.
Air Polisher Buyer's Guide 2026
Comparison of 13 air polishing and combined tabletop systems for dental clinics. Covers IDS 2025 launches: EMS GBT Machine, Acteon OPUS, NSK Varios Combi Pro2.
Air Polisher Troubleshooting Guide
Diagnose and fix the most common air polisher problems: clogged nozzles, powder caking, weak flow, air and water leaks, handpiece coupling issues, and more.
Cordless vs Tabletop Air Polishers
Are cordless air polishers ready to replace tabletop units? Handpiece, portable, and full tabletop systems compared, with a decision framework for clinics.
Air Polisher 5-Year Cost of Ownership
What an air polisher really costs across five years of clinical use — powder, consumables, servicing, and replacement parts compared across tabletop and handpiece formats.
Acteon AIR-N-GO easy Review (2026)
Turbine-coupling air polisher with SUPRA and PERIO nozzles and three Acteon powders. EU price, verified specs, pros and cons.
Dentsply Cavitron Plus Review (2026)
30 kHz magnetostrictive scaler with Tap-On wireless pedal and Steri-Mate handpiece. EU and UK prices, verified specs, pros and cons.
NSK Prophy-Mate neo Review (2026)
Coupling-mounted polishing handpiece with 60° and 80° nozzles, seven coupling versions and autoclaving to 135 °C. EU price, specs, pros and cons.
Woodpecker AP-H Review (2026)
Low-cost coupling-mounted air polishing handpiece (119–125 g) for bicarbonate or glycine. EU price, verified specs, pros and cons.
EMS AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master Review
Independent review of the EMS AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master — the flagship combined tabletop system behind Guided Biofilm Therapy. Performance, ecosystem lock-in, and the €6,400–8,000 ex-VAT question.
Mectron Combi Touch Review
Independent review of the Mectron Combi Touch — Italian combined tabletop system with piezoelectric scaling, air polishing, and endodontic irrigation. Price-performance analysis.
NSK Varios Combi Pro2 Review
Independent review of the NSK Varios Combi Pro2 — Japanese combined tabletop system pairing Varios piezoelectric scaling with integrated air polishing. Reliability and price-performance.
Acteon AIR-N-GO easy Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting the Acteon AIR-N-GO easy air polisher: clogged nozzles, weak powder flow, coupling O-ring wear, and post-autoclave issues.
Dentsply Cavitron Plus Troubleshooting
Diagnose and fix common Cavitron Plus problems: insert not oscillating, weak water flow, handpiece not tuning, footswitch issues, and post-autoclave failures.
NSK Prophy-Mate Neo Troubleshooting
How to diagnose and fix common NSK Prophy-Mate Neo problems: clogged nozzle, weak powder flow, coupling leaks, and post-sterilization failures.
Woodpecker AP-H Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting the Woodpecker AP-H tabletop air polisher: powder clogs, water reservoir issues, leaks at detachable sections, and when to schedule service.
Consumables
3 articles
Prophy powders, disclosing agents, and other clinic consumables — compared and reviewed.
Trehalose Air-Polishing Powder: 2025 Evidence Review
A 2025 network meta-analysis of nine RCTs and 462 patients ranked erythritol, trehalose, and glycine for subgingival air polishing. Verbatim SUCRA scores, mean differences, and where trehalose fits in 2026 practice.
How to Choose Prophy Powder
Practical clinical decision tree for choosing the right prophy powder: particle size, safety profile, contraindications, and cost considerations compared.
Erythritol Air Polishing Powder in the EU (2026)
In the EU, erythritol air polishing powder comes from EMS only (AIRFLOW PLUS, 14 µm). The glycine powders other brands sell for the same work, with prices.
Industry
6 articles
Market trends, trade-show launches, and industry moves in dental prophylaxis.
The Hygienist Shortage and Prophylaxis in 2026
ADA Health Policy Institute data: only 60% of US dentists report adequate hygienist staffing, and 91.7% of those recruiting call it very or extremely challenging. What that means for prophylaxis equipment decisions.
Q4 2025 Dental Earnings: The Prophylaxis Signal
Q4 2025 results from Dentsply Sirona, Straumann Group and Align Technology, and what their restructuring, expansion and digital-workflow bets signal for prophylaxis equipment.
Global Dental Market 2026: Where Preventive Care Sits
Fortune Business Insights puts the global dental market at USD 44.71 billion in 2026, with preventive and periodontal solutions the fourth of five fastest-growing categories. Where prophylaxis fits.
Combined Tabletop Systems 2026 Trend
Every major IDS 2025 and Chicago Midwinter 2026 prophylaxis launch combined ultrasonic and air polishing into one tabletop. What the pattern means for clinics.
Hu-Friedy PWR Air Launches at Chicago Midwinter 2026
Hu-Friedy PWR Air at Chicago Midwinter 2026: what the manufacturer has disclosed and how the device fits an increasingly crowded segment.
European Air Polishing Market 2026
How the European air polishing market is shifting in 2026 — combined tabletop systems, erythritol adoption, and where EMS, Acteon, Mectron, and NSK stand.