It may seem like an obvious answer (call me MOTO: Master of the Obvious), but nothing lasts forever.
Dental work is no exception and when deciding how to invest in your health, longevity should be considered. What lasts for decades with one person may not with another (usually not). Mileage will vary based on many factors, including bite forces, habits, diet and trauma/accidents.
As a rule, more “expensive” dental work is actually cheaper, when looking at “the big picture”. An example would be dental implants. The fee for one tooth may be a few thousand dollars by the time the work is done. The alternative MAY be root canal therapy, post, build up and crown that is a few hundred (several hundred?) dollars less. While the cost TODAY is less, if looked at through a 25 year window it may be more.
Statistics will tell us that the cheaper method will likely need replacement in 10-15 years, while the implant is still going strong. The cost for dental care in 15 years will be considerably more than today when figuring inflation and newer materials (remember how much you paid for your first car? Your first house?).
While nothing lasts forever, when investing in dental care quite often the higher fee option has greater benefits.
Dr Timmerman has found that many people fear seeing the dentist. If there was a way to simply come in and get the treatment done, yet not know about it or have a memory of the visit, they would start yesterday! If that sounds like you, then perhaps sedation dentistry is for you. After taking a pill, you can virtually sleep during your visit, and likely will have no memory of your visit.
The fear and anxiety can be gone! Call 206-241-5533 to find out if sedation dentistry can work for YOU!
Dr Timmerman is often mistaken as a specialist in cosmetic dentistry. This is not true. In fact, there is no such specialty as a cosmetic dentist. However, Dr Timmerman is very proud of the services he provides, and often there is an esthetic or cosmetic value to his care.
Having said that, Dr Timmerman is a regular “family dentist”. He offers cleanings and fillings like most offices, but has the ability to offer more, if desired. So if you would like the benefit of a dentist that is internationally known for his cosmetic dentistry, yet are only needing regular general dental care, call 206-241-5533 and make an appointment!
Dr Timmerman feels that when a tooth is missing or in need of extraction, a discussion between you and your dentist about your options should include an option for an implant, a bridge, a removable denture or nothing at all. When replacing a single tooth, dental implants are usually the best choice.
But what exactly IS a dental implant?
Dental implants come in three parts: the implant body, the implant abutment and the implant crown. After the implant body is surgically placed, the human body must fuse to it and make it stable, normally 3-6 months. At this point impressions are made to fabricate a custom abutment to attach to the body, and a crown cemented to the abutment. Once completed, one can use it like a normal tooth. It is very strong!
Dr Timmerman is often asked to place a porcelain cap on a tooth. What patients refer to as caps are classified as crowns in a dental office and with associated paperwork for third party benefits. It is a matter of semantics, as a cap means crown, or a crown means cap. Either way, it is the same thing.
So what is a porcelain cap/crown? If a tooth is cracked, fractured, has a large existing filling or is missing part of the tooth, a crown is placed to replace the missing tooth structure, or provide a more stable chewing surface for a tooth. In order to provide adequate substructure, often the tooth is built up before preparing the tooth for the crown. Crowns stay on a tooth mainly by design, similar to two inverted styrofoam cups staying together when retrieving one.
Dental caps/crowns are made out of gold, porcelain fused to a gold frame or all porcelain. They are cemented or bonded to the tooth and designed to be one of the longest lasting restorations in dentistry.
Call 206-241-5533 to see what Dr Timmerman can do for YOU!
Dr Lance Timmerman DMD provides Invisalign to his patients that seek an alternative to wire braces. This works by fabricating a series of clear aligners (or “trays”) that slowly move teeth to desired positions. The average case takes 11 months, but can take longer. For minor cases that are 5 months or less, then Invisalign Express may be an option.
For greater details, see the main site, or call 206-241-5533
Dr Timmerman noticed an interesting trend lately. We are getting more and more calls asking if the labs that we use are here in America, or do I outsource to China (or other countries). Or, if our American lab then outsources to China…
The bottom line is this: We are VERY proud to use only American labs that do all of their work in America, nothing is outsourced. We use the highest quality materials and American craftsmanship.
It happens to all of us. We put it off. Life is too busy. The kids have soccer practice. I just don’t WANT to…
And then it happens. The tooth we were warned about finally starts to hurt. Yet it hurts worse than they said… NOW what?
Sometimes you just need to talk to someone and find out what to do next. Call 206-241-5533 and see how we can help. Our office always is able to see emergencies, to at LEAST take a look and do something to “take the edge off” and buy some time. It might be simple… You won’t know until you call.
