Frequently asked questions.
What if I have an emergency?
That’s when you need us most! We’ll do everything we can to shift our daytime schedule in order to see you. (We schedule fewer appointments than most dental offices to provide more time to care for our patients.) Should you have a dental problem during the evening or on a weekend or holiday, call us and follow the simple prompts on our voicemail. Dr. Miller or an associate will get back to you promptly.
WHAT ARE DR. MILLER'S QUALIFICATIONS?
Dr. Miller has always had an interest in more complex dental procedures. He has invested a tremendous amount of time and money in advanced education. He has studied advanced dentistry in several areas including periodontal treatment, bone grafting & dental implants, and oral surgery. He started working with implants and bone grafting in 1999. He decided to join ICOI in 2006 and earned his Fellowship in the International Academy of Oral Implantology in the same year!. He is currently pursuing a Mastership in the same organization. Dr. Miller earned his fellowship by investing 176 hours of training including hands on cadaver training, hands on model training, and many hours of didactic work. The submission of twenty finished implant cases more than a year old were then required, ten of which were then presented. Here are the contents of a recent CV:
Timothy Miller Jr., DDS, BS
1526 Fifth Avenue
San Rafael CA 94901
ttmillerjr@aol.com
(415)453-6409
I have many patients in my practice who belong to the Kaiser Medical Family and would like me finding Kaiser Physicians to treat conditions that I routinely perform for other patients. It is this situation that has motivated me to apply to become a Kaiser provider for Oral and Maxofacial Services.
EDUCATION:
University of San Diego&&&.BA in Chemistry with emphasis in Biochemistry 1992 University California of San Francisco&&&&&&&&&&&..BS Biomaterials 1996
University California of San Francisco.&&&&.&&.Doctorate of Dental Surgery 1996
Sulzer/Calcitek&&&&&&&&. Management of the Atrophic Maxilla/Mandible 1998
Univ. of Southern California..Atraumatic Extraction and Implant Site Developement1998
Sulzer/Calcitek&&&&&&&&&&&&..Simulated Patient Implant Workshop 1999
Advanced Dental Education Seminars&&&&&... Allogenic Soft Tissue Grafting 1999
Biohorizons&&&&&&&&&&&.Implant Diagnosis and Treatment planning 2000
Zimmer&&&&&&&&.&&&&&&&..&Implant Surgical Skills Workshop 2000
USC&&&&&&&&&.&&&&&&&&&&..Periodontal Osseous Surgery 2001 James Kohen&&&&&&&...Hands on Gingival and Connective Tissue Grafting 2002
Lifecore&&&&&&&&&&.&..Advanced Surgical and Prosthetic Techniques 2003
USC&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&....Oral Surgery for the GP 2003
The Institute for Advanced Dental Education&&&&...&.Regenerative Workshop 2004
USC&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&...Periodontal Plastic Surgery 2004
Perio Institute&&&&&&&&&..Crown Lengthening Concepts and Procedures 2004
USC&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Oral Surgery Workshop 2005
Implant Seminars &&&&&&&&& 9 Month Continuum-Dental Implants A-Z 2006
Areas of Study Include: Management of the Atrophic Patient (Bone Grafting), Soft Tissue Grafting, Radiographic Modalities, Armamentarium, Anatomical Considerations, Aseptic Technique, Surgical Templates, Suture Techniques, Bone Biology and Osseointegration, Pharmacological Agents, Geriatric Patient Considerations, and Handling Surgical Complications among others. (144 Hours)
UCSF Implant Study Club&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&2006
Implant Seminars...Comprehensive Hands on Implant and Bone Grafting Cadaver Course
2006
Areas of Study Include: Harvesting Autogenous Bone from the Chin, Ramus and
other areas, Socket, Ridge and Sinus Grafting (Frontal and Maxillary), Bone Splitting and Sectioning, Platelet Rich Plasma Applications, and more.
Implant Seminars&&&&&&&&&&&&&&....8 Month Implant Continuum 2007
Areas of study include: Historical development of dental implants, implant armamentarium, medical history considerations for dental implant surgery, ct and other radiographic modalities, surgical guides for implants, surgical techniques for endosseous implant placement, wound healing and suturing techniques, pharmacologic agents in implant dentistry, esthetic anterior implant placement, second stage implant surgery, impression materials, principles of occlusion in implant dentistry, immediate loading, bone biology, osseointegration, bone grafting, geriatric implant considerations, implant complications, maintenance, peri-implantitis, medical billing.
Golden Gate Academy of Advanced Education &.Implant Therapy in the Esthetic Zone
2008
Implant Seminars &&&&&&&&&.8 Month Implant Continuum (120 Hours) 2008
Areas of study include: Anatomical considerations in implant dentistry, sterilization, disinfection and asepsis in implantology, peri-implantitis, principles of occlusion, over dentures, hybrid prosthetics, fixed prosthetics, hygienic maintenance, guidelines for handling complications, defining informed consent, pharmacology, radiographic modalities, review of dental implant systems plus others.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
D. Bruce Laurie DMD
327 3rd Street
Ramona CA 92065
(760)789-8537&..................................................................................................1996-2006
General PractitionerIn addition to general dentistry duties I addressed oral injuries after traumatic events, including extracting hopelessly damaged teeth, management of oral hard and soft tissue defects with bone grafts and fixture (implant) placement to restore normal oral functioning, all dental work to restore chipped, broken and cracked salvageable teeth including; fillings, crowns, vitality testing, endodontic treatment etc.. Oral periodontal surgery to address bone destruction due to systemic disease and pharmacologically induced xerostomia and its Sequela
Timothy Miller Jr., DDS
1526 Fifth Avenue
San Rafael CA 94901
(415)453-6409&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&...2006-Present
General Practitioner-- In addition to general dentistry duties I addressed oral injuries after traumatic events, including extracting hopelessly damaged teeth, management of oral hard and soft tissue defects with bone grafts and fixture (implant) placement to restore normal oral functioning, all dental work to restore chipped, broken and cracked salvageable teeth including; fillings, crowns, vitality testing, endodontic treatment etc.. Oral periodontal surgery to address bone destruction due to systemic disease and pharmacologically induced xerostomia and its Sequela.
DOES DR. MILLER ONLY WORK WITH IMPLANT PATIENTS?
Dr. miller focuses on implant and bone grafting procedures, but he does provides dentistry for adults. Dentures, periodontal(gum)treatment, root canals, fillings, crowns, whitening & esthetic procedures, extractions of all types plus general dental care.
HOW CAN YOU TELL IF I HAVE ENOUGH BONE FOR IMPLANTS?
There are various methods to tell how much bone we have to work with. The best way is to use a cone beam computerized tomography machine. Dr. Miller recently purchased his own machine, so now these three dimensional scans can be taken right in our office.
WHAT CAN THE NEW 3-D SCANNER SHOW?
The latest 3-D technology is incredible! The clarity and definition are unbelievable. In one easy scan one can see copious amounts of useful information. We can see your jaw bones in three dimensions making implant dentistry faster and more predictable. When doing root canals a common issue is, "have we found all the canals"? With this scan we can acurately "slice" the tooth up in three dimensions uncovering all canals. Gum disease destroys the bone supporting teeth. With a 2 dimension X-Ray the shape of the bone destruction can be ambiguous or even hidden from view. With the 3-D scan one can see the bone damage accurately and while it is still small and more easily treated. These are just some of the examples our new CBCT delivers.
MEDICAL INSURANCE for the Dentist?
Medical Insurance can be billed for several procedures we do in the office. If the dental work you need is a result of trauma (or dry mouth a medication you are taking is giving you) most insurances will pay. Implant placement, wisdom teeth extraction, nightguards, bone addition for future implant placement(graft), gum surgery and more. Ask us about your case. Ask about our 12 month interest free payment plan.
Do all dentists place dental implants?
No, but let me explain. There are usually two steps in the process. Some dentists do the first step and send you elsewhere for the second. Other dentists do the second step but send you elsewhere for the first. Dr. Miller has earned his Fellowship from the International Congress of Oral Implantologists and in most cases can complete your treatment in one office. In more complex cases more than one dentist may be involved in your treatment.
How much is a cleaning?
If all you need is an ordinary tooth cleaning it is $106. However, if it has been too long since your last exam and x-ray appointment we will need to do this as well.
My teeth are crooked, but I don't want braces. Is there another option?
Yes. Sometimes called instant orthodontics, veneers can be a speedy alternative to a beautiful new smile.
I grind my teeth at night, do I need a nightguard?
Probably. Grinding your teeth is often a symptom of another problem. Headaches, sore teeth and tender neck and jaw muscles may be other signs that something more is going on. If you have symptoms it is a good idea to have a dentist to evaluate you. Medical insurances often help pay for nightguards.
I don't want a crown, can't I just have a large filling?
Maybe. Many of our patients find that if we fill a tooth that really needs a crown that they ultimately have a problem with it. Sometimes the tooth will break in a way that we can't fix it. This actually happened to my dad. Dr. Miller will discuss your particular situation with you, one way or another we will find a solution.
I heard that a few implants can make my loose dentures stable, is that correct?
In most cases that is correct. In fact, with a full lower denture you can often leave the same day with implants stabilizing it. Time and again I find patients just love this treatment.
I need my teeth cleaned more than twice a year, how come my insurance doesn't pay for more than two cleanings?
Most insurances function with a one size fits all approach. There are many people who have a genetic predisposition to gum disease. Those of us with these genetics need to have our teeth cleaned three or even four times a year. We can write your insurance explaining your situation, but most patients wind up paying out of pocket for these visits.
Will my Dental Insurance pay for it all?
Insurance limitations continue to influence dentistry. Most Dental Insurances will cover yearly x-rays, exams and usually two cleanings a yaer. For actual treatment they will pay a percentage up tp a certain dollar amount per year. We do what we can to make your dollar go further; Dr. Miller makes sure his fees are reasonable, most are the average of dentists in our area. We also take advantage of billing your medical insurance for procedures most people aren't aware they cover. Ask us about our 12 month interest free payment plan.
Our Patients Come From
Belvedere/Tiburon(94920,)Corte Madera(94976), Fairfax(94930,94978),Greenbrae(94904),Kentfield(94914),Larkspur(94939,94977),Marin City,Mill Valley(94941,94942),Muir Beach,Novato(94949,94998),Point Reyes,Richmond(94801,94802,94806,94807,94808,94850),Ross(94957),San Anselmo(94979),San Geronimo(94963),San Quentin(94964,94974),San Rafael(94901,94903,94912,94913),Sausalito(94965,94966),Stinson Beach(94970),Terra Linda, Tiburon,Woodacre(94973) and more.
My gums bleed when I brush, is that bad?
Bleeding gums when brushing usually means there is some level of gum disease (periodontal disease). The bleeding doesn't tell us the level of disease though, so it would be a good idea to have a dentist examine your mouth.