It is always fun to participate in a smile makeover with porcelain veneers. Closing spaces between teeth, called a diastema, can be a challenge if not planned right.
This is an example of a case that went very well, as our patient did a great job with their home care to ensure that everything well perfectly.
If you would like a free smile evaluation call 206-241-5533 today!
My daughter had her tonsils removed earlier today. While this is a nerve wracking experience for a parent, it was made worse by the wait. While we were told to be there at 8:30, they didn’t start until after noon. Three and a half hours later…!
My 7 year old had been obedient and did not eat since the prior evening. At this point, she was VERY hungry. Even when they decided to start, they waited. She was given some Versed to make her groggy and to forget when she had the IV started. But by the time the doctor finally came in, the Versed had started to wear off…
All in all, everything went well. She is recovering just fine and seems almost like the normal bubbly child that I love dearly.
But this got me to thinking. I am VERY proud that we see our patients on time. EVERY time. If there is a reservation with us at 9:30, we see you at 9:30! On a bad day, it might be 9:35…
We do this by reserving enough time to allow for the unforseen. This means most appointments are scheduled LONGER than needed, and we DON’T see more than one person at a time.
This DOES create a certain amount of responsiblility on our patients. If we reserved time at 9:30, that doesn’t mean come at 9:45 or 10:00. If you come late, we may need to reschedule and charge a no show fee, or we don’t get as much done as planned. We DON’T go long and affect the person at 10:30, since THEY deserve our time as reserved. We respect YOUR time, so you need to respect OURS.
If you are looking for an office that runs on time and often is done earlier than planned, call 206-241-5533 and see what we can do for YOU…!
See what PPM can do for YOU!
From ESPN:
When New Orleans Saints cornerback Tracy Porter intercepted Peyton Manning in Super Bowl XLIV, you probably didn’t think his mouthguard played much of a role in that game-changing play, much less a major role, did you? Neither did we and, apparently, we were ill-informed.
The Super Bowl hero came to Bristol to educate us on the almost-impossible-to-believe benefits of PPM mouthguards and how they elevate your game to a championship level. According to their website, PPM mouthguards are designed to help “properly align and relax muscles in the face,” which in turn results in improved balance, speed (!) and strength (!!) on the playing field. We know what you’re thinking and, believe us, we felt the same way … until we had the chance to witness the awesome power of this majestic mouthpiece for ourselves.
ESPN Senior Correspondent for Physio-Dental Coordination, Steve Braband, caught up with Tracy and had a chance to borrow his performance-enhancing mouthguard for the day. The results speak for themselves …
Since the New Orleans Saints won the Super Bowl, there has been a lot of attention to what many Saints players have been wearing, the PPM (now called the Makkar Advantage). Some athletes have opted for a device pushed by UA with similar goals.
But what is the difference?
Both are designed to improve athletic performance, both with balance, range of motion and increase in force generation (bigger bench or longer drives off of the tee).
While I think it is great that UA is trying and agree with much of the research, consider this:
It all comes down to performance. If one device works better for you, then THAT is what you should wear. There is no right answer, so find out for yourself what works best. Dr Timmerman can help.
Call 206-241-5533 to learn more!
Dr Timmerman is asked often to simply do 6 anterior veneers, or do a little at a time (2 this year, 2 next year, etc). Depending on the goal, this is usually NOT a good idea. After hundreds of smiles, there has NEVER been a case where a person only shows 6 teeth. When doing veneers, people usually want a whiter smile. As shown in the photo, this is a bad idea.
Porcelain veneers are hand crafted, custom made restorations unique to each case. Even if the same lab is told to create the veneers from the same material, the shades will not match if done “a little at a time”. This is similar to buying carpet for a small area years after the initial install. While the brand is the same, it won’t match. Bolts of fabric are the same. If close counts or is “good enough” then sequenced treatment would work, but most people want the best result for this level of investment.
Experienced dentists that do a lot of cosmetics know that 6 is the magic number. The number NOT to do. Dentists that say otherwise are revealing that they don’t do smile makeovers very often or have no training in veneers.
It all comes down to goals. If you are trying to make your smile the best, then doing 6 and doing a few at a time will NOT do the trick.
If you would like to know what can be done for YOUR smile, call 206-241-5533!
Many people have seen the marketing efforts of companies that make “No Prep” porcelain veneers, or in many cases minimal prep. These CAN be done very well and look nice, but many clinicians use this material or technique in ways that it was not designed.
When choosing a dentist, be sure to ask for examples of THEIR work and not that of the company. All too often, Dr Timmerman is replacing OTHER dentists attempts at a cosmetic upgrade.
Be sure THIS doesn’t happen to you!
Call 206-241-5533 to see what can be done for YOU!
For those keeping score, Dr Timmerman is heading back to Belgium this week. After having restored the smile of Mrs Globe Begium 2008, Ms Seka Dobric, Dr Timmerman was asked to share his talents to the people of Belgium. To achieve this, he has been asked to take several exams to show his abilities.
It appears, at least to a certain degree, somewhat political. Although the universities in Ghent and Leuven have endorsed his skills, the government may not.
No matter what the final score ends up, Dr Timmerman has enjoyed the experience of meeting new people and cultures.
As the New Orleans Saints prepare for the Super Bowl, their oral appliance usage is getting much deserved press. Dr Timmerman is proud to offer the Makkar PPM to people that want to bring their “A game” everytime, from the golfer to the martial artist, or from the skier to the bowler.
Alex Hutchinson
THE QUESTION
How does a performance mouthpiece improve my game?
THE ANSWER
One guy who would not have benefited from a mouthpiece is Michael Jordan.
“When he went up for a dunk, he’d stick his tongue out,” says Anil Makkar, the Truro, N.S., dentist whose Makkar Pure Power Mouthpiece has become a must-have accessory for professional athletes in a variety of sports.
Sticking your tongue out, it turns out, lowers your jaw and brings it forward into a relaxed position. Most of us, in contrast, clench our teeth with effort – and that’s why we’d benefit from a mouthpiece that keeps the jaw and facial muscles relaxed, Dr. Makkar says.
Star athletes ranging from Shaquille O’Neal to Terrell Owens have publicly testified to the performance-boosting powers of Dr. Makkar’s $2,000 mouthpiece (entry-level models cost $600). Meanwhile, Baltimore-based Under Armour launches its own mouthpiece in Canada this week, boasting a client list that already includes several dozen Winter Olympians and almost 100 NHL players, including Alexander Ovechkin. Before you invest, though, it’s worth looking into the research behind the bold claims – because not all “scientific proof” is created equal.
The idea that the position of your jaw can affect the rest of your body stretches back at least to ancient Greek athletes and Roman warriors biting down on leather straps; wounded U.S. Civil War soldiers “bit the bullet” to deal with pain. These days, top sprinters strive to relax their face – as you can see from their jiggling cheeks in slow-motion replays.
Nobody really knows why this should work. Clenched teeth may stimulate excessive production of the stress hormone cortisol, or a misaligned temperomandibular joint – the connection between the lower jaw and the skull – may constrict airways or interfere with nerve signals travelling from the brain to the rest of the body. And there are other theories. Whatever the mechanism, Dr. Makkar reports immediate improvements in posture, flexibility, balance and strength, and notes that its users report increased endurance and faster recovery. Under Armour makes similar claims, and adds faster reaction time.
On closer examination, however, much of Under Armour’s research is deeply flawed. For example, a series of 2008 studies by Dena Garner at the Citadel, a military college in South Carolina, compares subjects with mouthpieces to subjects with nothing in their mouths, taking no account of the placebo effect.
The results are interpreted rather generously. What’s described as “a definite trend for lower cortisol” turns out to mean that cortisol levels dropped in only 11 of the 21 cyclists in the study – barely more than half. A follow-up study of runners in 2009 also failed to find any statistically significant change in cortisol.
In comparison, the details of a study Dr. Makkar commissioned at Rutgers University suggest the mouthpiece could make a difference. Shawn Arent, a professor in the department of exercise science, tested 22 collegiate and professional athletes in a double-blinded study, all from contact sports where mouthpieces are already used to protect teeth. Each subject was fitted for a standard mouthguard and for one optimized with Dr. Makkar’s hour-long proprietary technique, and neither the athletes nor the researchers knew which one they were wearing.
The researchers observed small but statistically significant improvements in vertical jump, in peak power produced in a 30-second cycling test, and in the average and peak powers produced during a sequence of 10-second bursts of cycling. The only test that didn’t produce a significant change was the number of body-weight bench presses.
“My sense is that it’s real and it could be important, for some sports more than others,” says Dr. Arent, who has submitted the results to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. “But seriously, I was surprised by the effect.”
So do these results apply to all “performance mouthpieces,” or just to the Makkar PPM? We simply don’t know, because none of the competitors have invested in proper research. Dr. Makkar, meanwhile, is arranging a further study at Ohio State University of performance on a standard test of balance, flexibility and range-of-motion.
Whether recreational athletes will be willing to pay for a potential power boost of a few per cent – the range suggested by Dr. Arent’s study – remains to be seen. But those who do would be smart to stick with devices that are backed by high-quality research.
Alex Hutchinson blogs about research on exercise and athletic performance at www.SweatScience.com.
Over 45% of adults have breathing sleep disorders. Snoring MAY be an indication the you have sleep apnea, which is a life threatening disorder. While there are medical devices to help, CPAP being the most used, there ARE oral appliances that can help.
If you snore, or someone you know snores, call Dr Timmerman at 206-241-5533 to see what can be done.
It may seem odd that your dentist offers Botox, until you really think about it. There are many advantages to consider:
While the therapeutic use is the main reason for the administration, there often is a side benefit. Using Botox for TMJ pain has helped many people and an unintended benefit is realized. Eliminate the pain, look younger.
What more could you want?
