Dr Timmerman wanted to share a recent case, showing a simple combination of porcelain crowns, porcelain veneers and a porcelain bridge. Bonded in place, metal free and life changing!
Call 206-241-5533 to see what can be done for YOU! Read the rest of this entry »
There has been a lot of buzz about Invisalign teen lately, both on TV and at water coolers. How does it differ from Invisalign? Is there a difference in price? Will it hurt?
Invisalign teen was developed for the typically non compliant, less responsible young adult. There is a tendency to lose aligners, break aligners, or generally act irresponsibly. Included in the aligners are color indicators that lose color as the trays are worn. If they do NOT lose color, then it is clear that the aligners are not being worn enough. Included in the treatment fee are a limited number of free replacement aligners for those people that can’t quite remember what they did with their trays.
Teenagers are already self conscious about their appearance. Straight teeth without the appearance of metal brackets can really help ones self esteem. Call 206-241-5533 to learn more and see if this is right for YOU or YOUR teen!
Dental makeovers can be extreme, but they don’t always NEED to be. Often people are very satisfied with their teeth overall, but the edges of their teeth could use some attention. Enamel contouring does not require anesthesia, so even the most fearful patient can have this done.
Teeth contouring can be an affordable option when trying to improve a smile. In conjunction with Deep Bleaching, the final results can be amazing
Call 206-241-5533 to see what can be done with YOUR smile!
Dental implants have helped many people regain their confidence and health. Being able to chew food properly has many health benefits. People with dentures often are self conscious about them, fearing that they will come loose during a social function or speaking engagement.
Implants for denture stabilization are different than implants for replacing a missing tooth. They are a bit smaller in size and are designed to help stabilize a denture, not support a denture. They passively assist the denture, but patients report that their denture feels “solid” or “locked in”.
If you would like to know more about implants to stabilize your existing denture or implants to stabilize your future denture, call 206-241-5533 today!
There are many applications in dentistry for lasers. Lasers can be used to detect decay, they can be used to whiten teeth, they can be used to fight gum disease and they can be used to prepare teeth for restorations. By using different wavelengths and mediums, the results are less post operative pain and more predictable outcomes.
One of the greatest applications is when fighting gum disease. Since the laser light has an affinity for certain cells, the collateral damage is limited. Situations that in the past (or currently in a less progressive office) that would have required surgery are being treated non-surgically with great success. In cases of deep pockets, rather than remove tissue, pocket depths are reduced and become more manageable.
In most cases, the laser is so gentle, patients do no require getting numb!
If you would like to see if laser dentistry is for you, call 206-241-5533!
Dr Timmerman doesn’t always treat multiple teeth when restoring a smile. Quite often it only takes a single tooth to be restored to get a smile “back on track”. But that can be a challenge. One of the greatest challenges (for all dentists) is to restore a single front tooth. Surface texture, if not done well, can be too smooth, so when the light interacts with the smile (like during a cocktail party or other social gathering) the appearance is less than desirable. Matching the color of one front tooth can be difficult, as the shade on one side of the tooth is often different than the other side. Material selection is important as well, since light reacts with different mediums in a variety of ways. Old fashioned crowns are made with a metal substructure that can block light and make a tooth look opaque and lifeless.
Here is an example of a single front tooth restored. Can YOU tell which is fake?
An enhanced smile does not always mean restoring multiple teeth, especially if one is satisfied with how everything looks in the first place! If you would like to know more, call 206-241-5533 today for a free consultation!
Dr Timmerman believes that a comfortable visit is a happy visit. Some people just need a “little something” to make it all run smoothly, whether it is a gag reflex, a bad memory, or just simply… because.
Nitrous oxide is not something to simply toss around. It is a sedative hypnotic drug, meaning it might make you distracted by the office visit, but it won’t “put you out”. Once the visit is over, the gas dissipates quickly, allowing you to resume your life with little effect.
If you would like to know more, call 206-241-5533!
It’s interesting. With all of the advancements and technological breakthroughs in dentistry, the focus has been on esthetics and mimicking nature. “Life-like” crowns have been the goal.
There is nothing wrong with that. But the materials themselves will always have a drawback or “acceptable risk”. Porcelains are layered, pressed from a solid material or milled from a block, but can chip or break. This doesn’t always happen, but it can.
Another material that has been around for a VERY long time is gold. A gold crown, while not “esthetic” will likely last much longer than the alternative. Gold crowns don’t chip. Gold crowns don’t break. The material is biocompatible (a fancy way of saying the body won’t reject it).
So if you are wanting a restoration that will last as long as possible (nothing lasts forever), consider gold. Some teeth are so far back that there is very little compelling reason to NOT place a gold crown. In some areas, gold is a sign of affluence, so you might even climb a social ladder…! (Just kidding…)
If you would like to know more, call 206-241-5533!
The link between gum disease and systemic health has been known for quite some time. We are continually learning just how severe the effects can be. Dr Timmerman hopes that many people will read this article.
Ask Dr Timmerman. Nobody likes the term “root canal”. Images of sadistic torture come to mind. But modern dentistry is different than what is seen in the movies. Quite often patients remark at the end of their appointment, “When do you start?” or even more common, “That’s IT?”
When you have a toothache, you NEED a dentist. But what exactly IS a root canal? For lack of a better description, it is simply cleaning out the center of the tooth of all infection and replacing the space with a biocompatible (body likes it) material for strength. Out with the bad, in with the good.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a toothache, call 206-241-5533 and let us help!
