What makes the Snö Exam Superior, Gentle and Trusted?
For many people, a visit to the dentist often starts with a toothache. As a result, many dental clinics in the region, and around the world, have been geared to treat symptoms and not put the patients’ holistic dental health first. The result is often a prescription and an unrequired treatment, as opposed to an informative and informed discussion on what your dental care should be. Many people are happy to leave the decision to their dentist and not get a second opinion.
At Snö, we believe that your holistic and long-term dental health begins with a simple, yet thorough examination. We also believe that our patients have the right to know what treatments are best for them – and sometimes, the best treatment is no treatment at all – and as dentists, we have an obligation to ensure that our patients are always informed of these alternatives. You should not feel apprehensive about getting a second opinion; in fact, we encourage it. This is why the Snö Exam embodies our core values of Superior, Gentle and Trusted, and why it is necessary for your long-term dental health.
Contrary to popular belief, there’s so much more to dental exams than just finding a problem to fix. Here are five ways that the Snö Exam lives up to its reputation and why it ensures you always get the best treatment options for your dental health.
1. Digital or printed copy of your entire exam package
Our latest digital equipment not only allows our dentists to carefully document every x-ray and 3D scan, but also share that information with our patients. The results are quick and easy. What’s more, we will hand you a digital (USB or via our App) and printed record of your full Snö exam for you to keep. This is your right.
2. Updated information at least every year
The Snö Exam is not just for spotting cavities or finding the cause of a toothache. It is an important record of your dental health so your dentist can spot problems early and prevent them from getting worse. It is also the best way to keep track of your dental health, the progress of treatments, fillings, veneers, crowns, implants, orthodontics etc.
3. All your x-rays and 3D scans, yours to keep
X-rays are a very important tool for us to discover diseases early. In keeping with our minimally invasive philosophy, we use the latest digital equipment ranging from intraoral x-rays, in all treatment rooms, to full 3D face scanners (cone beam). We also save a 3D model in full colour of your teeth and gums. This means better, more accurate results, and more importantly, a through record of your dental health. This helps us model treatments (braces, guards, guided implant surgery, crowns, bridges and veneers), track changes on a microscopic level and perform any replacements, if necessary, keeping your original tooth anatomy. Best of all, the records are yours to keep.
3D scanned full color model with microscopic precision – included in all Snö exams.
4. Properly documented treatments
Documentation is VERY important. Not just for your case history, but also for rebuilding damaged teeth, to track wear and changes in your dental health over a period of time with highest accuracy. It is also crucial if you want to get a second opinion or if you want to audit any or all of your treatments. These are just some of the ways we offer a superior exam and security for you at Snö.
Whether you move to another country, your dentist at home is unavailable or you have an emergency while on holiday, your Snö exam and treatment records will always be with you. This could prevent other dentists from having to start from scratch and prescribe incorrect treatments.
5. Risk assessment and results
At the end of the exam you should also get a risk assessment which classifies your risk for conditions like caries, periodontitis, and other general and technical risks. This helps dentists (and you) better understand and focus on the right kind of prophylactic treatment and maintenance. If treatment is suggested, you have the right to know all the alternatives, risks, prognoses, costs, and guarantees.
For a trained dental team this whole process only takes 30-60 minutes. Follow-up exams are usually much quicker.
There are many good dentists out there, but great dentists give their patients superior, trusted and gentle dental care they deserve and need, without over-treating or overcharging. If your dentist doesn’t provide you with this information or kind of treatment you should be concerned.