:: Welcome to Our Seattle Dental Practice
December 12, 2009
Dr Timmeran gets asked frequently “what EXACTLY is a full mouth rejuvination?”
Essentially, this is a process. The goal is to restore the entire mouth to the state it was in when the person was around age 23 (assuming everything was GREAT when they were 23). The teeth are not worn very much, they are white, they look FABULOUS.
What does it take to get this? It depends.
Call Dr Timmerman at 206-241-5533 to find out what can be done for YOU…
November 18, 2009
Dr Timmerman is excited to offer digital dental impressions by Cadent. The iTero machine allows for impression taking WITHOUT gooey gunk. No gagging, but the best part is the accuracy.
iTero captures the prep, emails the info, creates CAD/CAM models which are sent to the dental lab for final crown/bridge/veneer fabrication.
The accuracy is unsurpassed. Most crowns are placed permanently in the mouth with NO adjustments. From a patient comfort perspective, wouldn’t it be nice to come in and mere minutes later be on the road again? All dental impression materials distort to a degree and talented labs must compensate. With iTero, there is no need to compensate and the accuracy and fit are simply a given.
If you would like the best that dentistry has to offer, call 206-241-5533!
November 17, 2009
Quite often people ask for “No Prep Veneers”. When the case allows, the results can be fantastic.
However, most cases do not allow this. Most people have teeth that overlap to a certain degree, or are flared out and would need to be brought in. If tooth structure is located in an area where none should be, then it would need to be removed to create the ideal appearance. This eliminates the case from “No Prep” consideration.
This is not a bad thing. “Prep” veneers do not weaken teeth, and usually are stronger than if the teeth were not restored at all. The result is both beautiful AND strong.
November 14, 2009
Dr Timmerman is asked all the time for cheap esthetic or cosmetic dentistry. Honestly, nobody wants this. Dr Timmerman wants to provide care that people want and are proud of, and people want care that warrants pride.
He often talks of the “3 E’s of Dentistry”. These are esthetic, economics and efficiency. You can have 2, but not all three. If you want them to be pretty and quick, they won’t be cheap. If you want them to be cheap and efficient, they won’t be pretty. If you want them to be pretty and cheap, they won’t be efficient (quick or convenient).
We ALL want our cake and to eat it too. Sometimes, cutting corners is not a good idea. Do you want cheap brain surgery? You might not like the outcome. Same with cosmetic dentistry.
Low fees come at a premium. What corners are being cut in order to save you money? Do you want veneers created in China, where we don’t really know what they are made from? There are many cases of materials made in Asia where the results are NOT what one would want. When it comes to one’s health, is that REALLY a wise thing?
October 14, 2009
Beautiful smiles have an interesting affect on people. Some people have their self esteem affected when their smile is not what THEY feel is beautiful. A spiral effect happens, where the lower self esteem leads to other things. People in sales sell less. People in the dating scene date less often or with people that are less than they desire.
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? What is that WORTH? The short answer is “It dependsâ€.
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.
September 22, 2009
Dr Timmerman is proud of his education and his continuing education. One of the programs he has participated in is the Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (or LVI for short). This world renowned institute teaches modern materials and techniques the dental schools just don’t cover. Dental schools just cover the basics, so if your dentist has not kept up with 21st century dentistry, you are truly missing out!
From cosmetic smile makeovers to complex reconstructions, from TMJ disorders to sedation dentistry, LVI trains dentists to help people that otherwise are not helped.
If you would like to be treated by LVI trained Dr Lance Timmerman, call 206-241-5533 today!
September 21, 2009
One of the greatest challenges Dr Timmerman (and all dentists) have is to restore a single front tooth. 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. 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 desireable. 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!
Simply put, bruxism is “grinding your teeth”. It can annoy neighbors, it can break teeth and dental restorations, and it can contribute to TMJ or jaw disorders. It can also make the teeth look very short and unesthetic.
Dr Timmerman helps people deal with bruxism. He has several methods to help, from the simple to the complex. If you grind your teeth, or if you know someone that does and would like to get treatment, call 206-241-5533!
September 17, 2009
Dr Timmerman is often asked what is involved in a cosmetic smile makeover. Hopefully this presentation will help explain the 4 simple steps!
March 17, 2009
Times have become tough. With photoshop, the internet and items just about ANYONE could purchase, how can you find the right cosmetic dentist for you?
It seems every dentist puts on his stationary “Family and Cosmetic Dentist”. To a degree, this implies that ANY dentist can give you that “red carpet smile”. To be honest, this just isn’t true.
Quite often, if you asked many dentists what they mean by Cosmetic Dentist they will say they do white fillings in addition to the mercury ones. Many of these dentists, when asked to give a perfect “hollywood smile” will decline, or simply put off the patient. They won’t make a referral of any sort, they simply find ways to discourage the patient from moving forward. Some will go so far as to say “what you are asking for just can’t be done…”
This can become very confusing for the consumer. If all dentists are NOT created equal, then how do you choose?
Unfortunately, this means the consumer needs to interview prospective dentists. Most offices will offer a free consultation to answer your questions. You should know that a consultation is NOT an examination. A consult is generally a “chat session” where things are discussed in general terms. If you are wanting to know what would work in your individual case, a clinical examination would be required, and all necessary diagnostic records would be taken. You should expect a fee for this.
Find out from the prospective dentist how many cases they have done (you don’t want to be the first, right?). Find out how unique your specific case is (if you are an odd challenge, can they handle it?). Ask for photos of their own work (dentists can purchase books of beautiful cases that were done by someone else). Ask how they got trained in cosmetics (it is NOT a subject taught in dental school).
But in the end, you need to choose a dentist you can trust. With all the training in the world, fancy photography and cases under their belt, you need to decide if the person with the scary job is someone you trust. That is not an easy or quick decision.
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