Dr Timmerman is excited to offer a non invasive procedure to help his patients treat dental disease. Icon is a way to heal cavities before they get bigger, and there is no drilling.
Call 206-241-5533 to learn more!
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:
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.
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.
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!
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!
Dr Timmerman moved his practice from Renton to Tukwila in 2005 to make it easier to get in and out. Located between the Family Fun Center and the Starfire soccer complex (home to the Seattle Sounders FC), Dr Timmerman’s office is VERY easy to find. The parking lot is across the street from exit #1 from interstate 405!
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!
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!
