Lance Timmerman, DMD

It is becoming more common that people can manage their dental fear and can get their dental care, in as few as one visit! If you have high anxiety by just THINKING about the dentist, then perhaps sedation dentistry is the answer.

Don’t let your fear stop you. Get the smile you deserve by calling Renton and Tukwila sedation dentist Dr Lance Timmerman DMD at 206-241-5533

We are finding that in our efforts (the dental profession) to help non dentists understand what we are doing, 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 can create an inflammatory response from your body. Chronic inflammation can affect your whole 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.

There is nothing like a trip to Europe, back and forth, that lasts only 6 days. With the distance and time change, 3 days were lost, so I was only truly there for 3 days. That is a LOT to overcome physically, and I am still feeling the effects.

It was fun seeing some old friends and some new towns, but I don’t know how often I can make that trip. The plan is to offer similar cosmetic services there to those offered in my office in Seattle. It appears that many materials that are standard in my office simply aren’t availible there.

I don’t know how realistic it is to plan for this, but I have enjoyed the process anyway.

Life is an adventure, right?

As time goes on, and people educate themselves on the internet, people are asking for specific brands of porcelain veneers when doing their smile makeover here in Seattle. Quite often there is confusion about what material works best or how the process works. Seattle cosmetic dentist Lance Timmerman DMD will take the time to explain how the materials work and what works best in each case. Or, if you prefer, Dr Timmerman can just choose the material for you, saving you the hassle of choosing. YOU decide!

So, whether you are looking for a cosmetic dentist in Seattle, Burien, Tukwila or Renton (or even NOW in Belgium!) Dr Timmerman is here to help!

With some nervous excitement, I am heading back to Belgium next week. To finalize my license to practice there, I am sitting for their board exam on Monday, February 21st. Should be a fun (brief) trip…!

OK, talk about a whilrwind trip… Midnight thursday night flight to arrive in Des Moines IA at 8 am. Rented a car, drove to see my brother’s gorgeous new office in Clive, IA at Heritage Creek Dental Care and then went straight to the testing center for the jurisprudence exam. I love my GPS, was able to get around fine, which is good, since Des Moines is so flat, I would easily be confused!

I was very tired, but I think I did fine. We’ll see. The laws in Iowa are different than Washington, so it got confusing sometimes…

I then flew home the next morning…

I don’t know how often I can handle that kind of trip…

OK, some of you know that my brother graduated from dental school a little over a year ago. He is now in Iowa and started his own practice from scratch! Well, being inexperienced, he has asked for my help, so I am heading to Des Moines to take the jurisprudence exam so that I can practice there too! (only as needed…)

He DID tell me that it is -16 F so I am not sure how often the trips during the winter will be…!

Having restored Mrs Belgium’s smile this summer, I took a trip to Europe in October. Meeting her friends led to meeting someone that has a clinic near Bruges, and they were interested in having a cosmetic dentist participate.

Right now, we are in the finishing stages of getting me licensed there, which would allow me to travel back and forth, making smiles wherever I go!

For some more information, look at my new website, www.DrTimmermanInternational.com where you will see a link to the clinic as well.

A few weeks ago, Whoopi Goldberg returned to her TV show, “The View,” and shared with the world the significance of gum disease. Follow this link to see and hear what you really need to know!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLDL8NhNxWA