Mouth guard™

To prevent excessive tooth wear, Snö offers dental mouth guards™. There are basically two different types of mouth guards. One is to protect teeth from damage during sport, the other is to protect teeth from damage from grinding or clenching teeth.

Some over-the-counter stores offer dental mouth guards (‘one-size-fits-all’ type). Our orthodontics team do not recommend using these since they can do more harm than good. This is because both types of mouth guards are precision tools that need to be tailored to your specific needs. With regards to sports and protection, you can find the ADA recommendations here: American Dental Association

Mouthguard pic - dental clinics, abu dhabi
A sports mouth guard can even be designed to look great.

Mouthguards - dental clinics, abu dhabi  mouth guard - dental clinics, abu dhabi
The second type – also called a nightguard or splint – is the one that protects your teeth if you have bruxism (teeth grinding). This acts as a ‘teeth grinding guard’.  Bruxism is the most common reason for teeth and restorations to wear out faster. The night guard is usually worn while sleeping, but it can also be customized to treat and prevent the symptoms that many get from grinding or clenching teeth. The night guard is very effective in protecting the teeth and also helps to relax the jaw muscles and ligaments.

We have our own high-quality laboratory and certified dental technician at our main facility in Abu Dhabi, where we manufacture all our mouth guards in Abu Dhabi. We can most often (depending on the case) fabricate a mouthguard on the same day. Thanks to our advanced digital scanners, we can even avoid the discomfort of taking tooth impressions. A two-minute scan gives us all the information we need on your teeth, in full detail and at the highest resolution. For parents who need to get kids’ mouth guards, the digital scan leads to a stress-free visit.

Dental Care (prophylaxis)
Cleaning
Preventing cavities
Mouth guard

Tooth Decay & Cavities Prevention

An intact tooth is always best.

If a cavity of caries is small, it can usually heal by itself, provided the conditions are right. However, if it is more pronounced, it will need to be removed and replaced with some form of restoration. We believe that an intact, unfilled tooth is always the best. That is why tooth decay prevention is very important.

Cavity prevention and tooth decay prevention treatment involves brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste, but it might not be enough, but you cannot always reach food debris and bacteria between your teeth. Hence the importance of flossing.

Small initial caries can heal
During your SnöTM examination, we might find caries. However, if the caries is only limited to the enamel, the treatment is professional cleaning, and proper instruction in diet and hygiene.

At your future examinations, we will monitor the caries and any possible progression. This initial stage of caries is regarded as a sign of unbalance in the mouth, and if the unbalance is not attended to, more caries might follow in the future.

To prevent cavities, we recommend a fluoride treatment after each teeth cleaning. The fluoride treatment is of special importance for our youngest patients to protect their beautiful, but slightly softer teeth.

When caries is limited to the enamel, it can heal by a professional dental cleaning and a change in diet, hygiene and fluoride treatment. If caries reaches the dentin, a restoration is needed.

High or low caries risk
As part of our cavity prevention treatment, We evaluate the caries risk as a part of our SnöTM examination and inform our patients about what they can do to reduce it since our vision is to do as little treatment as possible.

Cavity prevention starts with small steps, which you can take to stop tooth decay from spreading. 

A common reason for high caries risk is eating several small meals during the day. It is important to remember that acid build-up starts every time you eat. If your mouth is not allowed to rest for a few hours between each intake (even the small ones), the caries risk will increase and tooth decay can spread.

Another reason is dry mouth. As we get older, the saliva production decreases. Certain medications may also lower the saliva production as well as stress. Saliva protects the mouth and fights against bacteria. A reduction in saliva production may trigger an increase in caries risk.

The margins of old crowns and fillings will almost always harbor bacteria, which also increases the risk of developing caries.

Things to remember to prevent tooth decay

  • Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste.
  • Clean the space between the teeth every day by flossing. You only need to floss the teeth you would like to keep!
  • Rinse your mouth after meals with water. This reduces the acid attack. A sugar-free chewing gum might also help.
  • Refrain from snacking in-between meals. No matter how good you are at cleaning your teeth and mouth, eating small meals will increase your caries risk.
  • Fluoride treatment preferably as a mouth rinse. If you have an elevated risk we will also administer a local, topical fluoride treatment when you visit one of our clinics. Fluoride will be layered in the enamel, making it stronger.
  • Visit your dentist and hygienist regularly. Listen to their recommendations. They are trained to help you keep your teeth healthy.

 

To book your next cavity prevention treatment in Abu Dhabi contact Snö Dental Clinics in Abu Dhabi on 800-DENTIST.

Dental Care (prophylaxis)
Cleaning
Preventing cavities
Mouth guard

Dental Cleaning & Hygiene

We usually recommend a thorough teeth cleaning every 6-12 months with our specialised dental hygienist team  to give you a solid foundation to prevent future problems.

Dental Cleaning or Dental Prophylaxis is about prevention so you need less treatment in the future.

At your Dental Prophylaxis appointment, the Snö hygienist will perform a short exam to assess the current state of your dental health and then carefully and gently work tooth by tooth to remove calculus (tartar) and plaque before polishing your teeth. When needed you will also receive personalised instruction on how to best take care of your teeth and mouth. A deep cleaning of the teeth typically takes an hour.

Calculus are calcifications of food debris and bacteria that, if left on the teeth for too long, will give you bad breath. It can also cause inflammation in the gums, which can later lead to damage (resorption) of the bone, loosening of the tooth and larger infections. This is often referred to as periodontitis.

Some people get calculus easier than others. Your dentist will let you know how often you need to have a teeth cleaning, according to your level of calculus. Periodontitis is usually a slow progressing disease. When the patient experiences symptoms, it is often more difficult to treat. With the Snö ExamTM, we can inform and help you to prevent the disease from spreading before it sets.

We usually find calculus above the gum line on a tooth – supra gingival. This makes it fairly easy to remove, usually accomplished in one visit. If you have a lot of calculus or have not been to the dentist for a long time, it might require more visits. We can also find calculus under the gum level – sub gingival. This will be detected when we do our Snö Exam with X-rays and 3D scans. X-rays will also tell us about the condition of the roots and bone.

With a probe, we gently assess the root surfaces for any irregularities and how tight the gum adheres. As a part of the Snö Exam, we very precisely measure (perio-charting) the current status of your mouth, and formulate a risk assessment in order to prevent the disease (periodontitis) from spreading.

Perio-Charting
Example of a thorough charting of a patient’s periodontal status as it is always done at Snö. The appearance may be confusing but not for the dental team. Regular charting is essential to monitor the development of a patient’s condition, both for treatment purposes and prophylaxis. Your dentist should provide you with this information if you move or switch dentists.

During a dental cleaning, the most commonly used treatment to remove calculus is to scrape it off with a designated instrument. Dentists call this treatment a depuration. But today we have even better techniques to help us to do the cleaning gently and effectively.

AIR-FLOW Master Piezon - dental clinics, abu dhabi

 

At Snö, during a dental cleaning appointment, we use Guided Biofilm Therapy (PERIO-FLOW®) a powerful yet controlled jet of water, air and fine powder that not only polishes all the surfaces of a tooth, removing plaque, discoloration and soft deposits, but also reaches deep into periodontal pockets (if you have any) up to a depth of 0.5mm. It is more efficient than depuration at removing the damaging biofilm that develops when dental plaque is colonised by bacteria, and can cause periodontitis and peri-implantitis to develop. Air flow polishing is completely safe to use with dental implants, veneers, crowns and bridges.

Studies have shown that air polishing is much faster at removing stains and plaque than traditional deep teeth cleaning methods. This means less time in the chair for the patient and therefore fewer interruptions. Teeth are cleaned in a much less abrasive manner than scraping and polishing, which also causes less damage to the teeth. And its much more comfortable for the patient. Sometimes we also complement this with laser treatment (included in the normal treatment), but is usually not needed. If the teeth are sensitive, we can use a local anaesthetic to make it more comfortable.

Stains and Plaque

Apart from treating and preventing periodontitis, a dental cleaning session with our dental hygienist also prevents the other big teeth disease: caries. They can also do bleaching.

Regular dental cleanings are a must for healthy, brighter smiles and to maintain optimum oral health for life. To book your next teeth cleaning in Abu Dhabi, contact Snö Dental Clinics in Abu Dhabi on 800-DENTIST.

Dental Care (prophylaxis)
Cleaning
Preventing cavities
Mouth guard

Dental Hygiene & Services

At Snö, we follow a holistic approach to dentistry to ensure your long-term health and beauty. We prefer to prevent dental problems over fixing them. The first step to dental health is awareness of proven dental hygiene routines and knowledge of how and when to use them. The Snö team will be happy to guide you through our dental care services.

Dental hygiene begins with the very first teeth in childhood and remains important throughout our lives. At Snö, we teach parents and children how to take care of kids’ teeth. We also give parents tips on how to motivate children to clean their teeth on a daily basis. Do not hesitate to consult the Snö team on any questions related to dental care services and dental hygiene like the right toothbrush (electric or manual), how to protect your teeth from sports accidents or excessive tooth wear, or what and how (not) to eat to prevent caries and other dental problems.

Of course, the Snö team will also support you with direct dental care and hygiene services like Teeth Cleaning, Fluoride Treatment, etc.

Cleaning
Our specialised dental hygienists will perform a thorough teeth cleaning every 6-12 months to give you a solid foundation for your daily routine.

A Snö hygienist will also do a short exam to assess the current state of your dental health and then carefully work tooth by tooth to remove calculus and plaque before polishing your teeth. You will also receive personalised instructions on how to brush and floss your teeth. A routine cleaning typically takes an hour.

Fluoride treatment
To prevent caries, we usually recommend a fluoride treatment after each cleaning. The fluoride treatment is of special importance for our youngest patients to protect their beautiful, but slightly softer teeth.

Mouthguard/sports guard
To prevent excessive tooth wear, Snö offers mouth guards™ or sports guards™. All the appliances will be tailored to your specific needs by our own dental laboratory. The Snö team will make sure that the mouth guard™ fits your teeth and will teach you how to use it.

Let’s get started today! Visit your nearest Snö clinic for a dental care and hygiene consultation.

Dental Care (prophylaxis)
Cleaning
Preventing cavities
Mouth guard