by Lance Timmerman DMD

Again, I use the quotes over the word insurance because “dental insurance” is a myth. What I hope to explain here is the obligation of a balance when working with a third party benefactor. As time marches on, insurance in ALL forms is changing. As benefits morph into a different animal, it can be hard to keep up, yet SOME things are not NEW. Primary among the “old info” is the fee for the service in a dental office.

Seattle cosmetic dentist Lance Timmerman DMD in Tukwila is often asked to “Fix my gummy smile!” Some dentists simply “fix” the enamel part of their smile, but don’t notice (or aren’t capable of fixing) the lip size or movement. When a gummy smile is an issue, there are three choices:

Your bite exerts tremendous pressure. Your bite force may be as much as 168 pounds at your second molar, and the total bite pressure is about 5600 pounds per square inch. When you add this up over the many millions of bites you will take during your tooth’s life (not to mention grinding from bruxism), it’s remarkable that our teeth are able to withstand the pressure, especially considering that tooth enamel is strong, but as brittle as glass.