No Gag Dental Impressions
November 25, 2014
Lance Timmerman DMD is known for many different services, but it is his customer SERVICE that sets him apart. Any dentist can offer dental care, but it is not common to offer no gag dental impressions when dental impressions are needed. Many patients have a heightened gag response, so even the most basic dental treatment can be a challenge.
When reproducing the shape of the teeth, models to study or fabricate restorations, trays filled with soft and gooey material (historically alginate but more common today is polyvinyl siloxane) are inserted in the mouth and removed after setting. Plaster can then be poured into these impressions and after fully set a perfect reproduction is created. It is during the GOOEY stage that exists the problem. The more “runny” the material, the more detail is captured; however, gravity tends to allow this material to run down the throat and induce a gag or tendency to vomit. This leads to an unpleasant dental experience.
The more advanced and modern dental practices use digital impressions. Dr Timmerman uses the iTero machine, a device that stitches together several images, or pictures, of the teeth and allows this file to be sent to a lab for fabrication of the dental models. These “impressions” are both more easily tolerated by patients AND more accurate than the tray method. There is no downside.
The most accurate impression is one that does not distort in any way. However, the “perfect” material would then be impossible to remove from the mouth, so dental materials have a certain “give” to them, making them soft. This allows the trays to be removed and the material returns to the shape of the tooth. This “give” has a bit of distortion and is compensated when poured up in stone. A little expansion on one end, a little contraction on the other. The hope is when added together, the result is “zero” or neutral.
Since a digital impression does not need to worry about expansion or contraction, the iTero model can be fabricated to the EXACT dimensions desired. This allows the dental restorations to fit PRECISELY. Dental restorations that FIT require no adjustments, which means the cement used works better, the bite is more comfortable and the restoration lasts longer.
Composite White Dental Fillings
November 24, 2014
One thing that Dr. Timmerman does that many people overlook is his general dental services, like composite white dental fillings. Known internationally, with licenses in Dubai and Belgium, for cosmetic dentistry, some people have been surprised to learn that Dr Timmerman is still a general dentist with general and family dental services. He even cleans kid’s teeth!
Many dentists, even today, place metal fillings. This is basically the same material that was developed around the time of the Civil War, so it isn’t anything new. While some improvements have been done over the years, it is basically the same thing as what was placed years ago. The material is a cheap way to fill a tooth cavity, but we have better options today.
Composite fillings aren’t simply better looking than amalgam fillings, they are better physically. The main benefit is they don’t HAVE to be as thick as mercury amalgam fillings (amalgams require a minimum 2 mm thickness so your bite does not break the filling). Since white fillings are bonded to the tooth, they can be a thinner option.
In years past, the “knock” on white dental fillings was that they were not as durable as amalgam. That arguement has been invalid for years, as the technology has improved to the point that the strength of white dental fillings is not in question anymore. Some DENTISTS, that have not stayed current with technology and dental materials, continue to state that they don’t last as long, but that is merely a reflection of their level of education. Dentists — USED to say, “Do you want it to look pretty or last a long time?” But that question is no longer valid. They can look pretty AND endure.
The process to have the fillings stay put also prevents saliva and bacteria to get in underneath the filling. This “waterproofing” process also disinfects the tooth. Since it is bacteria that causes decay (specifically Streptococcus Mutans), the tooth benefits from the required steps to bond the material in place. A chemical solution is placed on the tooth to make a clean surface, and the end result is a tooth that is much healthier than it was before.
Since the white dental fillings match the surrounding tooth color, the overall appearance is one of HEALTH. A healthy mouth does not appear dirty, dingy or grey. Metal fillings, no matter how “hidden” we try to make them, will always cause the teeth to look “dirty, dingy or grey,” which is not a healthy look. Health conscious people also want to LOOK healthy, and this is a good way to do it.