Dr. Timmerman feels extremely lucky to be a part of the Tukwila community, and he shows his appreciation by giving back whenever he can. He frequently donates to St. Jude Childrens Hospital, and hes also a long-time sponsor of Valley Girls & Guys (an organization dedicated to raising breast cancer awareness) and the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. Basically, if it helps put a smile on someones face, hes proud to be a part of it!
In his younger years, Dr. Timmerman had a summer job where he delivered retainers to various dental offices for the local orthodontic lab. This close proximity to dentistry eventually ignited a lifelong interest that developed into a viable career path and the rest is history.
Dr. Timmerman achieved his Doctor of Dental Medicine at Oral Health and Sciences University. Since then, he has pursued continuing education diligently (including courses at the world-renowned Las Vegas Institute) and studied specialties like dental implants, cosmetic dentistry, and sleep apnea therapy. Today, he is a celebrated international lecturer who has earned the following accreditations:
Dr. Timmerman has a beautiful wife and three active daughters who keep him very busy. Outside of dentistry, his top passions are traveling and good food! Hes a seasoned world traveler who is fluent in French and is licensed to practice in such far-away locales as Belgium and Dubai. He is also an avid fan of cycling and has flown overseas to watch the Tour de France in person.
Dental offices use what is called a periodontal probe to measure the pockets between the teeth and gums where harmful bacteria can gather. There is ALWAYS a pocket, so there is never a depth of zero. Normal and healthy numbers are 2-3 mm, the depth that bristles of toothbrushes can completely reach to keep things clean. If a 4 is discovered, then inflammation is present, and a depth of 5 mm or more means irreversible bone loss.
Some people assume, and some dental offices even say, that gum disease is from not brushing or from tartar (calculus) buildup. This is not true. Periodontal disease is a bacterial infection and must be treated as such. This includes OralDNA testing to determine WHICH bacterium is present, at what levels, and which methods to treat are most appropriate.
It takes periodontal bacteria just 12 weeks to gather together in large enough amounts to destroy bone. If you can be seen every 3 months after being diagnosed with gum disease, you can prevent further bone loss, but more importantly, you can control the amount of bacteria present. This can literally save your life.