November 25th, 2009 admin
Dr Timmerman doesn’t make bold statements often, so when he does, there is a reason.
There are two factors to consider:
- Quality of final restoration
- Convenience for the patient
The messy goop for impressions is never perfect. Moisture from the mouth affects the setting of the goop, the goop runs down your throat making you gag and perhaps remove the material too soon, the material distorts (and the list goes on). With this distorted impression, plaster is poured inside to make a replica of the teeth. The plaster expands or shrinks during the setting, hopefully in the opposite direction of the messy goop (goop expanded? lets hope the plaster shrinks, but not TOO much…). With this, the lab technician creates the restoration.
iTero by Cadent eliminates these issues. “No goop” means “no gag”. Moisture is not an issue with a picture. The image resolution is accurate to an error of 10 microns. That’s MICRONS. Now when the lab technician creates their artwork, things just plain FIT.
Convenience? The information is sent electronically to the lab while the patient is still IN THE CHAIR. Normally after the patient has their temporary crown created, they are dismissed and the impressions are disinfected and shipped to the lab. This is done by a courier to a local lab or delivery service (UPS or FedEx, etc) to an out of state lab (or China. You should ask where…). This takes time.
iTero restorations theoretically could be created on the same day as the preparation appointment (this would depend on how busy the lab is, pre arranged priority service, etc). The iTero restoration COULD be done in a matter of days and not weeks.
Is it the same day? No. But would you prefer one appointment for 2-2.5 hours, or 2 appointments, the first only 30 minutes long and the second 15-20 minutes?
What kind of service and treatment do YOU want? Most would prefer what professionals would request. Ask a dentist (that has done their homework) which method would they seek for themselves. A strong majority would prefer iTero (nothing is ever 100%, especially in dentistry).
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Crowns | No Comments »
November 18th, 2009 admin
Dr Timmerman is always trying to serve his patients better. As technology improves, he is always looking to add to his services. Rarely is the decision based on making HIS job easier, but always if the technology benefits the patient.
One such advancement is iTero by Cadent. This machine can take an impression of teeth WITHOUT the gooey stuff that runs down your throat!
The data is sent electronically to a lab and models are created. These models are sent to another lab for fabrication of the crown or bridge.
The benefit is super accuracy… The images produce models that are many times more accurate than impression materials (I could quote a stat, but it would be made up…!). Routinely, the restorations simply drop in place with virtually ZERO adjustments. With impression materials, it is common to adjust the contacts and the bite when cementing the final crown. Never say never, but it is RARE to adjust a crown when iTero is used.
If you would like a restoration that is strong, beautiful and built to last, call 206-241-5533 to learn more!
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Crowns, General Dentistry | 1 Comment »
November 10th, 2009 admin
The internet is allowing consumers to not only learn HOW to restore their smiles, but with what MATERIALS too! Quite often by brand.
Ivoclar Vivadent has a crown material called eMax. It comes in two flavors, e.MAx and e.Max HT for more translucency. Of these, there is CAD, ZirCAD, press and ZirPress. Each variation has its advantages, so Dr Timmerman decides what is best for each case.
Rest assured, if you are seeking the latest in dental materials, Dr Timmerman offers it!
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Crowns, General Dentistry | No Comments »
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 | No Comments »
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 | No Comments »
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 | No Comments »
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 | No Comments »
October 8th, 2009 admin
Dr Timmerman knows that everyone loves a beautiful smile. Popular shows like extreme makeover showcase how a nice smile can transform a person. People that work in sales report that their confidence increases and their sales improve. People in the dating scene share that prospects improve. Many people report that their self esteem increases. The value of a smile is personal and hard to measure.
So how much does that cost? The short answer is “It depends”.
Veneers take time and have lab costs involved. Less time and less lab means less fee. A truly artistic dentist with a fantastic lab, displaying their care and skills, take more time and have a higher fee. Materials used play a factor, as some veneers are made out of one material and yet other veneers are made from layering materials, creating works of art.
Dr Timmerman likes to give people choices. If someone simply wants a NICER smile, but not the BEST, there IS an option for them. No-prep veneers that take no time at all to create will have a lower fee, but they will NOT look as nice as layered porcelain veneers that required some removal of tooth structure.
Some people ask how much per tooth, yet smile makeovers are not only a factor of teeth involved. The fee to restore ONE tooth is not 1/10th of the fee to restore ten. The case complexity and lab work involved to restore ten teeth is exponentially more than one.
Depending on budget, number of teeth involved, materials, goals and expectations, you should plan to spend between $4000 up to $30,000.
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, porcelain veneers, smile makeover | No Comments »
October 8th, 2009 admin
Dr Timmerman provides Invisalign as an option for his patients that desire straight teeth without the appearance of braces. While not everyone is a candidate for Invisalign, for those that qualify, it has been fantastic.
Oral hygiene is better with this system, as brushing and flossing is achieved just as if nothing was being done. Diet is unchanged, as there are no foods that should be avoided from fear of breaking a bracket (however snacking between meals is OUT).
As a value added bonus, Dr Timmerman offers FREE bleaching gel for all of his Invisalign cases, so your teeth are not only straight, but WHITE!
If you would like to know if Dr Timmerman feels you are a candidate for Invisalign, call 206-241-5533 today!
Posted in Cosmetic Dentistry, Invisalign | No Comments »
