GBT Machine

What is the GBT Machine?

The GBT Machine is the current EMS product line for performing Guided Biofilm Therapy. It was officially launched at the International Dental Show (IDS 2025) in Cologne as the named successor to the EMS AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master, which had been EMS's flagship air polishing unit until then. The GBT Machine integrates the same AIRFLOW / PERIOFLOW / PIEZON technologies as its predecessor, repackaged around the 8-step GBT protocol with automatic handpiece recognition, an automated GBT mode and the EMS Partner 2.0 cloud-connected dashboard.

Important regional note: rollout has been progressive. In select markets the GBT Machine has not yet arrived, and EMS distributors there continue to commercialise the AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master as the current option for GBT. If you are buying today, ask your local EMS distributor which of the two units they currently sell.

What does the GBT Machine do?

The GBT Machine performs the same 8-step Guided Biofilm Therapy workflow as its predecessor, with the same three core technologies:

• AIRFLOW — Supragingival biofilm and stain removal with low-abrasive erythritol powder.
• PERIOFLOW — Subgingival biofilm removal in pockets ≥4 mm and around implants, using a dedicated subgingival nozzle.
• PIEZON — Ultrasonic removal of any residual hard deposits, after biofilm has been cleared.
• Validated powders — Erythritol PLUS Powder for biofilm management (EMS holds the European patent on erythritol air-polishing powder); sodium bicarbonate (AIRFLOW CLASSIC Comfort, ~65 µm) for heavier supragingival stain.
• Consumables — Disposable nozzles, tubing and disclosing agents specific to the GBT workflow.

Specifications and reference price (April 2026)

The GBT Machine is a tabletop unit — the dominant product class in the global dental air-polishing market (~60% of segment revenue per Precedence Research, 2026).

• Form factor — Aluminium and tempered glass chassis; benchtop footprint comparable to the predecessor AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master.
• Handpiece recognition — Automatic detection of AIRFLOW, PERIOFLOW or PIEZON handpieces; the unit switches operating mode without manual selection.
• Automated GBT mode — Pre-configured settings aligned with the 8-step Swiss Dental Academy workflow.
• EMS Partner 2.0 — Connected-dentistry dashboard for usage data, training and service records.
• Powder consumption — Approximately 6 g of erythritol per typical GBT appointment (manufacturer benchmark).
• Reference price (April 2026) — Around €9,166 ex-VAT in the EU; roughly US $10,500 in the United States. Country, distributor, configuration, training package and financing change the final number.

Sources: EMS product communications; EMS-distributor April-2026 pricing observed in EU and US channels; Precedence Research, Dental Air Polishing System Market (2026). For broader category context see our dental air polisher overview.

What does the clinical evidence say about GBT?

The public evidence base supports GBT as one structured approach to biofilm management — not as a clinically superior alternative to conventional debridement.

• 2024 BMC Oral Health randomised controlled trial — Pocket closure with GBT was non-inferior to conventional scaling and root planing (SRP). At 6 weeks: GBT 77.9% vs SRP 80.1%. At 3 months: GBT 84.1% vs SRP 84.4%. Differences were not statistically significant.
• Hatz et al. 2022 umbrella review — Air-polishing with low-abrasive powder jets (APWJT) is comparable to conventional instrumentation in active periodontitis, advantageous in supportive periodontal therapy (patient comfort and treatment time), and not advantageous in active peri-implantitis treatment.
• How to frame this — The defensible description is "non-inferior to conventional SRP" and "one structured approach to biofilm management" rather than any claim of clinical superiority over SRP.

Sources: BMC Oral Health (2024) — randomised controlled trial of GBT vs SRP; Hatz CR et al. (2022) — umbrella review of APWJT, Clinical Oral Investigations. Full references available on request.

Connected dentistry: where the GBT Machine fits

The GBT Machine launches into a broader industry shift toward connected dentistry — cloud platforms that link chair-side equipment with usage data, training and service workflows. EMS Partner 2.0 is the EMS implementation. The largest competitor positioning around the same theme is Straumann Group's AXS cloud platform, framed in 2025 reporting as a multi-brand connected-dentistry layer across the group's portfolio. Whether connected dentistry materially changes day-to-day operatory workflow is, for now, an open question across the category — not unique to EMS. Treat the dashboard as one feature among several, not as a clinical differentiator.

GBT Machine vs AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master — what changed

EMS has not published a detailed comparative spec sheet between the two generations beyond general product communications. What is publicly clear:

• Same protocol. Both units run the same 8-step Guided Biofilm Therapy workflow with the same instrument sequence.
• Same validated powders. Erythritol PLUS Powder for biofilm, sodium bicarbonate (AIRFLOW CLASSIC Comfort) for heavier supragingival stain.
• Different generation. The GBT Machine is the current product. The AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master is the predecessor, still actively sold in markets where the GBT Machine has not rolled out.
• New on the GBT Machine. Automatic handpiece recognition, automated GBT mode, EMS Partner 2.0 connected-dentistry dashboard, refreshed aluminium and tempered glass chassis.
• Branding. The product is now explicitly branded around the GBT protocol rather than as an AIRFLOW unit.

For specific differences in form factor, ergonomics, software or accessory compatibility, ask your distributor for the current spec sheet on the unit they're quoting.

Price, demo and training

The GBT Machine sits at the premium end of the air-polishing category. Reference pricing in April 2026: around €9,166 ex-VAT in the EU and roughly US $10,500 in the United States at distributor list level — country, configuration, training package and financing change the final number. The AIRFLOW Prophylaxis Master, where still sold, has historically been priced in a similar premium band. See our EMS AIRFLOW pricing guidance for the principles that apply to both generations.

Most EMS distributors arrange a chair-side demo on real patients before purchase. Swiss Dental Academy training is typically bundled into the equipment quote. Confirm exactly what is included — and what the recurring consumable cost looks like — before signing.

Alternatives and comparable systems

If you are interested in structured biofilm management but not necessarily in the GBT protocol or in EMS equipment, the player-tier alternatives in the global dental air-polishing category — alphabetically — are:

• Acteon Air-N-Go — Air polishing line with multiple powder options.
• Dentsply Sirona Cavitron Prophy Jet — Combined ultrasonic + air polisher (US-anchored installed base).
• Hu-Friedy PWR Air + PWR Pair — North American mid-premium standalone and combined units (~€1,800–€2,200 ex-VAT EU).
• NSK Prophy-Mate neo + Perio-Mate — Handpiece-style supra and subgingival polishers; NSK Flash Pearl powder is calcium carbonate (~54 µm), not sodium bicarbonate.
• W&H Proxeo Aura — Tabletop air polisher with SOFT/SMOOTH/SENSITIVE powder line (~€400–€600 ex-VAT EU).
• Woodpecker air polishers — Cost-competitive supra and subgingival units (Woodpecker ABC protocol).

Adjacent-tier options worth a separate quote: Mectron Combi Touch (combined piezo scaler + air polisher).

For a side-by-side comparison see Best dental air polisher 2026.

Frequently asked questions