Consensus Conference Findings on Supragingival and Subgingival Air Polishing

A consensus conference was convened to evaluate and address issues of safety and efficacy when using glycine powder in an air-powder jet device for supra- and subgingival applications during dental prophylaxis and periodontal maintenance. The conference reported the following conclusions: 1) Supra- and subgingival air polishing using glycine powder is safe and effective for removal of biofilms from natural tooth structure and restorative materials; 2) there is no evidence of soft-tissue abrasion when using glycine powder in an air-polishing device; 3) in periodontal probing depths of 1 mm to 4 mm, glycine-powder air polishing, using a standard air-polishing nozzle, is more effective at removing subgingival biofilm than manual or ultrasonic instruments; and 4) at probing depths of 5 mm to 9 mm, using a subgingival nozzle, glycine powder air polishing is more effective at removing subgingival biofilm than manual or ultrasonic instrumentation. This conference statement, supported by an industry grant, was drafted by a panel of distinguished dental professionals.