Interview with Dr. Ernst Wühr, General Manager of EMS Dental
Oral Science is proud to be the new partner of EMS Dental in Canada for GBT Education and GBT After Sales Service.
In February 2022, Chrissy Ford, RDH, Guided Biofilm Therapy trainer, clinician and practice manager who successfully integrated GBT, met with Dr. Ernst Wühr, General Manager of EMS Dental to talk about the story of EMS, Guided Biofilm Therapy, the EMS AIRFLOW® Prophylaxis Master and the unique educational experience Oral Science, the GBT integration specialist, is bringing to Canadian dental offices.
Full Interview
Chrissy Ford
Hi, my name is Chrissy Ford. I’m a Registered Dental Hygienist, consultant, and Guided Biofilm Therapy trainer in Canada. Today, it is my pleasure to meet with Dr. Ernst Wühr, General Manager of Electro Medical Systems, better known in the industry as EMS. Dr. Wühr has been heavily involved in the EMS mission to educate dental professionals across the globe on the most modern prophylaxis method and optimal patient experience with Guided Biofilm Therapy (GBT).
The Guided Biofilm Therapy Protocol
GBT is a preventative game-changer in modern dentistry. It works with the high-precision original Swiss devices from EMS, including the AIRFLOW® Prophylaxis Master with the PIEZON® PS instrument, AIRFLOW® Max handpiece, and AIRFLOW® Plus Powder.
The AIRFLOW® Prophylaxis Master
I join you today not only as a GBT trainer but as a clinician and practice manager who has successfully integrated GBT with eleven AIRFLOW® Prophylaxis Masters into my practice. I love any opportunity to share my experience and passion for GBT! I am excited to discuss with Dr. Wühr the importance, for all Canadian dental professionals, to hear and learn about Guided Biofilm Therapy and how it can successfully transform your patient experience, all while increasing the return on investment for your dental hygiene therapy.
Let’s get started. Dr. Wühr, can you please tell us about the story of EMS and how it is positioned as a leader in prevention and prophylaxis worldwide?
Dr. Ernst Wühr
In 1981, Electro Medical System (EMS) was founded in the Vallée du Joux, a tiny valley in Switzerland, and this past year, we celebrated its 40th anniversary. We relocated to Nyon in 1995, next to the lake of Geneva. EMS is dedicated to the dental industry, the urology world, and pain therapy, offering clinical solutions to treat most skeleton pathologies. EMS shapes the history and the future of install management with successful guided install management.
Vallée du Joux, Switzerland, where the EMS Story Began
Dental is our passion, and we are experts in removing biofilm thanks to the clinical protocols of EMS Guided Biofilm Therapy. Biofilm is the root cause of tooth decay, periodontitis, and peri-implantitis. Our goal is to remove biofilm with GBT, but its success is not solely from this method.
Electro Medical System’s success is based on our four pillars.
The first pillar directly relates to the scientifically proven method of GBT, and this form of evidence is necessary in today’s rapidly evolving world of dentistry.
Our breakthrough products, such as prophylaxis, are our second pillar. These product milestones are imperative for the next generation so emerging dental professionals can clearly understand that everything is moving towards enabling them to optimally remove biofilm.
The third pillar is the EMS continuous leadership. We are always trying our best to enhance the message of our scientifically proven evidence in a way that all industry professionals can benefit. The Swiss Dental Academy strives to educate users on utilizing Guided Biofilm Therapy in the most efficient way possible.
The fourth and final pillar is always putting our customers first to ensure their satisfaction with GBT and creating a unique customer relationship. We want to be able to give our patients the possibility to enjoy natural, healthy teeth, as well as implants. These four pillars are the foundation of Electro Medical System’s core mission to ensure we are offering clinicians our full support.
Chrissy Ford
Speaking of the opportunity to offer patients successful implant treatments, that was coincidentally my original intention of becoming a GBT trainer. I needed to find a better way to manage our implants — and we have found it!
We know that Guided Biofilm Therapy is the mission of EMS here in Canada. Can you tell us more about how and why it was developed?
Dr. Ernst Wühr
I think it’s important to note that GBT is not only offered in Canada. That said, the journey in Canada started in 2019 when we registered the AIRFLOW® Prophylaxis Master device. But eight months later, we were hit with the unforeseen circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. With practices closing their doors, it was a prolonged process.
Guided Biofilm Therapy is a professional oral hygiene treatment in dentistry, and was previously known for very little, if not zero, innovation. And this is not just a statement for Canada — it’s a global statement. It was necessary to offer the customer, our valued clinicians, a protocol that they can confidently rely on and a method that the patient can depend on confidently. GBT exists for standardization and because periodontal disease is high on the list of chronic diseases that are the most widespread. More than 15 percent of the adult population in the United States suffer from moderate to severe periodontal disease. The industry currently faces hygienist staffing shortages in practices, which is a significant challenge to navigate. The traditional method of delivering hygiene and non-surgical periodontal treatments has become outdated. For example, we have an association in Europe who have performed tests with results stating that 15 percent of dentists using the outdated, traditional methods could not deliver 100 percent biofilm removal.
We knew we needed to act on these results and find a more advanced approach simply because EMS was, and always has been, in the sector of periodontal disease. I strongly believe we have filled a gap with Guided Biofilm Therapy, and we continue to make changes for the better successfully.
Chrissy Ford
I want to touch on what you mentioned about calibration and innovation. I started my consulting business because I wanted to see more calibration. I was frustrated with having patients visit my practice, previously witnessing a different state of care at other practices, and I knew there was a gap to fill. I was able to bring GBT and put it all under one wheel. Being immersed in dentistry for quite some time, it was evident that not many innovations were available for hygienists. Our jobs can become frustrating and stagnant at times. In almost 20 years of being a clinician, having something new has been very exciting for the first time.
Can you tell us how the team in Switzerland at EMS created this technology with keeping the patient experience in mind?
Dr. Ernst Wühr
Our slogan at EMS, which is recognized globally in the dental industry, is “I feel good.” And EMS chose this with a purpose and message in mind. When we were developing the AIRFLOW® Prophylaxis Master device, we kept patient experience top of mind, but most importantly, we were always thinking about the dental professional. If the clinician feels good and has the necessary tools to perform a great job clinically, the patient experience will naturally be in good hands.
“I feel good”. What More can we ask from our patients!
The AIRFLOW® Prophylaxis Master is a fantastic product and, in my opinion, one of the best devices in today’s dental industry. However, the actual practice builder is GBT. In the end, it’s the patient experience that matters most when GBT treatments are correctly delivered. The Swiss Dental Academy is one of the most extensive training institutes in the dental world, and we take pride in training thousands of clinicians so they can deliver optimal treatments to their valued patients. Just last year, we gave more than 300 courses worldwide. We recently started a sizeable patient survey, already have more than 70 thousand questionnaires completed, and the results are excellent. Patients are pleased with the pain-free, Guided Biofilm Therapy, and many are now requesting it during their dental visits.
Chrissy Ford
As a practice manager, we also send out patient surveys to better understand how we are doing in our practice. Reviews are coming back with positive mentions of GBT, as some patients have never experienced such a high-tech cleaning.
I want to talk more about the concept of certified GBT integration made possible only through training with EMS trainers and the Oral Science team of dental hygienists. Can you tell us why EMS chose Oral Science to be its premier partner to offer Guided Biofilm Therapy?
Dr. Ernst Wühr
Oral Science has not only thoroughly understood our mission but has been willing to disrupt dentistry for the better. Our mission is to integrate GBT in dental clinics, which requires advanced training and support for clinicians. Integration isn’t possible by EMS alone – it requires collaboration with a focus partner who has a similar mission in Canada. It’s beneficial that Oral Science is based on a national network in Canada and can adequately deliver the GBT message and explain its value to Canadian clinicians. We have found a highly trained and skilled team that can integrate new workflows into dental practices across Canada.
Chrissy Ford
I have enjoyed working closely with Oral Science for many years, so it’s no surprise that they are the premier partner for Guided Biofilm Therapy!
The Oral Science Team of RDH’s & GBT Integration Specialist!
Oral Science would like to thank Dr. Ernst Wühr and Chrissy Ford for this interview on Guided Biofilm Therapy. For any question from dental professionals, Oral Science customer service can be reached at 1 888 442.7070 or service@oralscience.com