Dr Lance Timmerman of Tukwila, WA has added OraVerse® to his practice. This helps reduce the amount of time that you are numb, so you can get back to your normal life !
If you are like most people, you HATE that numb feeling. With OraVerse® you only have to endure it for half the time.
If you would like to know more, call 26-241-5533.
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…!
Sometimes there is no way around it. A tooth needs to be pulled (or extracted). Sometimes the efforts can be aggressive, but the goal is “atraumatic tooth removal”, meaning minimal to zero collateral damage.
The key is using the right tools. Dr Timmerman uses a tool called Physics Forceps to get the tooth out quickly and with less post operative discomfort.
If you need a tooth pulled, call 206-241-5533!
As “frugal” is the “new black”, questions of fees are common. A recent inquiry was about a dental bridge, which often has costs that are not directly monetary.
An economist will talk of “opportunity costs”. One way to look at this is where a person might enjoy their first pizza, but by the twelfth they don’t really enjoy it. Another is where a person may have saved money, but had they invested, the money would have grown. Or instead of investing they could have paid down debt.
In dentistry, there are other things to consider. For a bridge, there is the cost of treating the adjacent teeth. The cost will vary with how long the span of the bridge is as well, as in the span is larger if you are missing 3 teeth instead of 1. There is also the cost of future care.
The initial cost for a 3 unit bridge will vary, but in OUR area it can range from $2700 to $4500. The price can go up dramatically as teeth are added and there is a limit as to how large the bridge can be. It is not a good idea to have a 10 tooth bridge to replace 4-5 missing teeth, as the stresses and forces generated will cause the bridge to fail much sooner than smaller bridges would.
Another cost to consider is future cost. While a bridge may work, if not properly maintained will need replacement. Longevity ranges from 5 to 20 years (as an average). An implant or implant supported bridge may last 2-3 times as long.
There is much to consider, so feel free to call 206-241-5533 to learn more!
Sometimes “things” happen. That tooth that has been a bother off and on has become more “on” than “off”… and NOW it finally broke. As luck would have it, the weekend is here and your dentist is on vacation…
Quite often when teeth break, simply placing a crown on the tooth will solve the problem. But sometimes that won’t work. Cracks in teeth sometimes can propagate the length of the tooth, like when splitting wood, and the tooth either needs a root canal in addition to the crown or the tooth must come out, resulting in the need for a dental implant or bridge.
Whatever the case is, Dr Timmerman can help. With the latest technology, Dr Timmerman can restore your dental health in a comfortable and caring environment.
Dr Timmerman has noticed that his patients that have trouble communicating due to loss of hearing don’t get the needed dental care as often as they should. With a challenge such as theirs, he can only speculate as to “why”, which is not as important as “how”.
Dr Timmerman offers a service in his office, an interpreter. This expert in American sign language has helped him communicate dental needs to his patients that otherwise would not get care, or would only seek care when the pain was unbearable.
If you, or someone you know, is hearing impaired, contact us at info@DrTimmerman.com and let us help!
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!
Dr Timmerman takes infection control VERY seriously. In fact, when he designed his office, he made sure that the sterilization center exceeded the minimum standards. It is THAT important.
Each set of instruments are placed in packages that change color when exposed to high heat and each package is opened when the patient arrives. Testing strips are sent to a lab each week to be sure the equipment is in top working order.
If infection control is important to YOU, then you have found the right office!
Many of Dr Timmerman’s patients spend time south during the cold part of the year and return for the beautiful Seattle summers. In an effort to be frugal, sometimes they go “south of the border” for more involved dental care, assuming the quality is the same but at a discount. Honestly, if a person can get the same thing for less money they would be foolish not to.
However, more often than not, they get what they paid for. Many will beam with pride on what top quality dentistry was performed, but all they truly can report on is how they look and feel. Without a dental education, patients are not qualified to critique the quality.
How things FEEL is not a very good indicator for quality or health. Like high blood pressure, people often feel fine when in fact they are at high risk for stroke or heart attack. Often radiographic (x-ray) examination will reveal very poor quality dental work, yet everything may FEEL great. The long term prognosis may be catastrophic while the short term situation feels fine.
Insurance companies usually have no benefits for foreign providers, and should something go wrong there is no recourse.
This is not to say foreign dentists are not capable. Far from it, as there have been SOME cases that look great (in fact, not all American dentists are wonderful too). But there ARE certain standards that are regulated here that are not elsewhere. Infection control is a gamble outside our borders sometimes.
By all means, patients should do what they feel is best for them and their family. But they should do so in an informed manner and not be upset if they find out their gamble did not pay off.
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!
