October 31st, 2009 admin
When patients seek care, sometimes they want a specialist. Someone that has extra training and certified by an organization that has set the standard of care.
What does that really mean? Some dentists limit themselves to only a certain procedure. Does that make them a specialist?
There are 4 specialties in Dentistry:
- Orthodontics – moving teeth
- Periodontics – tissues supporting teeth
- Endodontics – root canal therapy
- Oral Maxillofacial Surgery – surgeries in the mouth
- Prosthodontics – crown and bridgework
- Pediatrics – dentistry for children
There is NO specialty for cosmetic dentistry. There is NO specialty for TMJ. There is NO specialty for implants. If someone only does root canals, but did not go to specialty school, are they a specialist? Truthfully, no.
Patients need to do their homework. If they want a dental implant and want an implant specialist, they may have a hard time. Some periodontists and oral surgeons will tell them that THEY are specialists in implants, and they truly DO have training for this, they are not completely honest. When a dentist says they are a cosmetic specialist, they aren’t being honest. They may be very good at cosmetics, they may even do cosmetics exclusively, but they are not specialists.
Ultimately, patients need to be treated by someone that is capable and someone they can trust.
Posted in General Dentistry | Comments Off
October 29th, 2009 admin
Dr Timmerman offers different ways to treat TMJ issues. Some people don’t want the BEST treatment, just simply something more than ignoring their problem. The 3 approaches are:
- A night guard. A plastic occlusal device that simply protects teeth from further damage. It sometimes can alleviate jaw pain, but most often it does not.
- Botox. By disabling some of the muscle activity, a complete clench is not possible. Pain is reduced if not eliminated.
- Neuromuscular TMJ therapy. By using sophistacated equipment, Dr Timmerman can find an optimal position for your jaw and relieve and manage your TMJ problem.
Not everyone is interested in complex therapy. Some alternatives are just fine (and some, Botox, can even improve your appearance).
Posted in TMJ | 1 Comment »
October 26th, 2009 admin
In the past, fillings came in one color. Metal. These fillings were not pretty and contained mercury, but with no other choice the alternative was worse (doing nothing and letting the disease get worse).
Now, composite resin fillings are a better alternative. Bonding to the tooth, they add strength as well as look natural. The material is more biocompatible than mercury amalgams, leading to a more healthy situation.
If you would like to upgrade your metal fillings, call 206-241-5533!
Posted in Home | Comments Off
October 24th, 2009 admin
In years past, crowns and fillings were made entirely from metal (gold or a mercury alloy) or porcelain fused to a metal core. They were useful in their time, as non metal alternatives were prone to fracture. Technology has changed everything, and crowns and fillings no longer need to have metal in them AT ALL.
By bonding porcelain or composite resins to teeth, Dr Timmerman can be more conservative and fabricate restorations that are more biocompatible. With the absence of mercury, common side effects can be avoided as well as teeth are less prone to fracture.
If you would like dental restorations that do not contain any metal, call today!
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Crowns, porcelain veneers | Comments Off
October 18th, 2009 admin
Many offices dumb down terms in hopes that patients will understand our advice. Is it possible that in an effort to be clear, we (as a profession) devalue what it is exactly that we are doing? We are finding that we have created misunderstandings. The truth is, there is no such thing as a “deep cleaning” in a dental office.
A dental office is either cleaning teeth (polishing them up, removing stains, etc) or providing periodontal therapy. This therapy is often called a “deep cleaning” but that isn’t really what is done. The goal here is to remove what is called the bio-film from below the gum line. The bio film is a collection of plaque and bacteria and it can create an inflammatory response from your body. Chronic inflammation can affect your entire body, and periodontal disease destroys bone around the teeth. If left untreated, you will lose teeth. If left untreated, you could die (I know, it sounds like an exaggeration, but just ask Whoopi Goldberg)
The process for periodontal therapy WILL make a person’s teeth clean, and the process IS deeper than a “regular” cleaning, to call it a “deep cleaning” is not truly accurate…
Sometimes we get patients that will request a “regular” cleaning when a “deep cleaning” was recommended. While it would seem logical that you could request that, the laws are clear that the dental health care provider cannot violate standard of care, and a patient is not capable to waive the standard of care. Legal precedent has been set, and if a dentist has diagnosed gum disease, therapy must be performed even if a patient requests otherwise.
It is similar to a physician diagnosing an infection in your lungs. He cannot simply give an aromatherapy candle and ignore the infection. The patient has the right to decline care and leave, but the doctor cannot ignore the infection.
Dr Timmerman feels very strongly about this. If you have periodontal disease, a gritty toothpaste cleaning will only be offered in ADDITION to therapy, not as a replacement.
Posted in General Dentistry, Periodontal Care | Comments Off
October 17th, 2009 admin
People want a new smile, but they don’t want to wait or don’t want others to know their plans. Products like Invisalign allow clandestine improvements and well planned porcelain veneers can improve your smile in the very first visit. Sometimes this veneer process is called “instant orthodontics”.
Dr Timmerman doesn’t use the phrase “instant orthodontics” often, because it can be misleading. Orthodontics is a term used to describe moving teeth, either with brackets and wires, with retainers or with Invisalign. “Instant orthodontics” is in quotes, because while the results are instant, the teeth are not actually moving.
By placing porcelain veneers, teeth can appear straight when in fact they didn’t move at all. Veneers allow the illusion of alignment as well as gaining proper shapes and desired color. If done right, the first visit can be so drastic that it looks like an instant change.
Porcelain veneer smile makeovers can be completed in as few as two visits, so if you would like to know more, call 206-241-5533 today!
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, porcelain veneers | Comments Off
October 12th, 2009 admin
Simply put, bruxism is grinding teeth. Some people grind their teeth while they sleep and others do it all day long. It can annoy co-workers and spouses and often is hard to control.
What causes this?
Sometimes, it is a side effect to medication or “other” pharmaceuticals, but most often it is an indication of a bad bite. If a bite is not balanced, the brain is triggered to react. Muscles can only do one thing, and that is to contract. Over time there can be significant loss of tooth structure and even headaches from overuse of the muscles.
Using neuromuscular principles, Dr Timmerman can help. Many dentists offer a “night guard” to give people something ELSE to destroy, other than their teeth). Dr Timmerman believes that if the CAUSE of the bruxism (the imbalance) is deal with, the bruxism will cease. Neuromuscular principles allow this to be done predictably.
If you would like to know more, call 206-241-5533 and find out how Dr Timmerman can help!
Posted in TMJ | 1 Comment »
October 12th, 2009 admin
Dr Timmerman has found that many people don’t know that cosmetic dentistry (and many modern aspects of dentistry) simply isn’t taught in dental school. ANY dental school. And what exactly IS a cosmetic dentist.
Unfortunately, since cosmetic dentistry is NOT a specialty in dentistry, each dentist gets to interpret what it means. Many consider simply doing tooth colored fillings as cosmetic, therefore they are cosmetic dentists. If their crown is NOT solid gold and is tooth colored, they consider themselves cosmetic dentists.
This can be confusing to patients. Many simply want a great smile makeover and want their dentist to do a great job. But CAN he? Does he have the training and experience to deliver what they desire? Many dentists, when put in this spot, simply “prep and pray”, meaning they work on the teeth and hope the lab gives them something nice.
Dr Timmerman wanted to offer more. Knowing that his dental school education did not train sufficiently in cosmetics (and he went to OHSU, one of the top dental schools in the nation), he went to the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Education. The training there allowed him to learn how to give the very best in dental care, and not ONLY in cosmetics.
LVI trains dentists to diagnose and treat many things, including:
- TMJ disorders
- Dental Implants
- Porcelain veneer smile makeovers
- Full mouth reconstruction
- Neuromuscular dentistry
- Sedation dentistry
- Sleep disorder dentistry
LVI continues to offer dental education to meet the changing needs. LVI is the most comprehensive and up to date institute.
If your dentist is not an LVI dentist, why not?
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry | Comments Off
October 12th, 2009 admin
Dr Timmerman strives to make the dental visit as comfortable as possible. Modern technology has made it so that even numbing the teeth can be a non-issue, since computerization has taken control. The key to truly pain free injections is The Wand®!
Dr Timmerman has a special pharmacy fabricate a gel that makes the initial injection pain free. The Wand® then takes over. The computer with the Wand® controls the rate of fluid introduced, so it is slower than the human hand can offer.
If the “freezing” of the teeth is done correctly, dental care is easy and almost pleasant. If you feel that your dental care is not as comfortable as you would like, call 206-241-5533!
Call Dr Timmerman today!
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Implants, General Dentistry | Comments Off
October 12th, 2009 admin
Dr Timmerman practices in Tukwila, near the Westfield Shoppingtown Mall. Many patients living in Burien find that the convenience of shopping nearby makes Dr Timmerman’s location easier to use than offices near their home. Located between the Family Fun Center and the Starfire soccer complex (training grounds/home to the Seattle Sounders FC), and across the street from exit #1 onramp to interstate 405, convenience is not an issue.
Dr Timmerman is a general dentist that offers MORE than general dentistry. His family friendly practice also offers dental implants (both placement and restoration), TMJ care, smile makeovers/porcelain veneers, and extreme teeth whitening.
The modern technology used allows the dental care to be done quickly and comfortably (gone are the days when getting a crown or bridge takes 3 hours of your day!).
Call 206-241-5533 to find out how Dr Timmerman can help YOU!
Posted in General Dentistry | Comments Off
