Preventive care
Chisako Gutiérrez Varona (Yano)
Dental Hygienist
LanguagesJapanese, English, and Spanish
Chisako trained at a dental hygiene college in Fukuoka and holds a Japanese dental hygienist licence. After working at a dental clinic in Fukuoka, she moved to Australia and worked as a dental assistant at a clinic in Sydney from 2016 to 2017, completing Provide First Aid in New South Wales in 2017. In 2022 she took initial training in GBT (Guided Biofilm Therapy) with AIRFLOW, and she looks after cleanings with this method.
Credentials
- Licensed Dental Hygienist (Japan)
- Dental hygiene diploma, Fukuoka, Japan
- Provide First Aid — New South Wales, Australia (2017)
- GBT (Guided Biofilm Therapy) AIRFLOW initial training (2022)
Cleanings with a dental hygienist licensed in Japan
Just visiting Tokyo? A cleaning-only visit is welcome. No treatment plan needed.
Living in Tokyo? Keep up your regular cleanings and check-ups in English. Your cleaning is carried out by a Japan-licensed dental hygienist, and our dentists work in the same clinic if anything needs a closer look.
We can book your next cleaning before you leave the clinic.
How a GBT cleaning works
Cleanings at Rodin use GBT (Guided Biofilm Therapy) with EMS AIRFLOW®. A fine, low-abrasive powder carried by air and water lifts biofilm and surface stains, and an ultrasonic instrument removes tartar where it is needed.
What the research says
Gentler powders
Laboratory studies and small clinical studies report that low-abrasive powders such as glycine and erythritol remove less root surface and irritate the gums less than sodium bicarbonate powder. Distance, angle and pressure still matter, so the device has to be used correctly.
Bühler 2016 · Petersilka 2008 · Kröger 2020
Similar results, often more comfortable
Reviews of gum-maintenance studies found results similar to hand or ultrasonic instruments, with lower pain scores and higher acceptance. Not every trial agrees: one 2024 trial found the GBT protocol more uncomfortable than scaling.
Tan 2022 · Stähli 2024
Staining shows what is left
In a randomised trial, staining the biofilm before cleaning left less plaque behind: 6.1% of the surface near the gums, against 12.0% without staining.
Mensi 2020
The GBT sequence
This is the sequence described in published GBT studies. Your hygienist explains at the visit which steps your teeth need.
Disclosing
A disclosing solution stains the biofilm so that it can be seen.
Air polishing
Low-abrasive powder removes the stained biofilm and surface stains on the teeth and just below the gumline.
Tartar removal
Where tartar remains, it is removed with a fine ultrasonic instrument. The powder does not remove tartar.
Final check
Every surface is checked, and any area still stained is cleaned again.
Mensi 2025 · Cyris 2024
Good to know
- Tartar is removed with ultrasonic or hand instruments, not with the powder.
- The gums can feel tender or bleed a little for a short time afterwards. Rarely, air can enter the gum tissue; this has been reported mainly with use below the gumline.
- Most GBT studies are small, and the certainty of the evidence is low to moderate.
Fees
- Cleaning: ¥19,900 (incl. tax)
- First visit: ¥39,900 (incl. tax), including an examination and X-rays
Whitening at Rodin uses the BEYOND® in-office system and can be booked together with a cleaning.
Sources
- Bühler J, et al. A systematic review on the effects of air polishing devices on oral tissues. Int J Dent Hyg. 2016;14(1):15-28.
- Petersilka GJ, et al. Effect of glycine powder air-polishing on the gingiva. J Clin Periodontol. 2008;35(4):324-332.
- Kröger J, et al. Air polishing with erythritol powder – In vitro effects on dentin loss. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2020;24(5):433-440.
- Tan SL, et al. Efficacy of air polishing in comparison with hand instruments and/or power-driven instruments in supportive periodontal therapy and implant maintenance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Oral Health. 2022;22:85.
- Stähli A, et al. Clinical evaluation of a novel protocol for supportive periodontal care: A randomized controlled clinical trial. J Periodontol. 2024.
- Mensi M, et al. Plaque disclosing agent as a guide for professional biofilm removal: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Int J Dent Hyg. 2020;18(3):285-294.
- Mensi M, et al. Clinical Comparison of Guided Biofilm Therapy and Scaling and Root Planing in the Active Phase of Periodontitis Management. Eur J Dent. 2025;19(2):482-492.
- Cyris M, et al. Guided biofilm therapy versus conventional protocol—clinical outcomes in non-surgical periodontal therapy. BMC Oral Health. 2024;24:1105.
- Jones A, et al. Causes of subcutaneous emphysema following dental procedures: a systematic review of cases 1993-2020. Br Dent J. 2021;231:493-500.
