Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 8, Issue 1, January 2004

Copyright 2003 Seattle Sun. Please feel free to use the article below in your research. Be sure to cite the Seattle Sun as your source.

Lake City dentist a Cougar at heart

By JAMES BUSH

For a man armed with degrees from both the University of Washington and Washington State University, Dr. Seng Yea somehow managed to avoid divided loyalties during the recent annual Apple Cup showdown.

Although he will proudly tell you that the University of Washington School of Dentistry is the best in the country, when it comes to football watching, Yea is a Cougar.

"I had more friends and more fun when I was an undergrad [at WSU] than when I was in dental school," he explains. For the record, Yea blames the latest WSU Apple Cup loss on turnovers and penalties.

Six months ago, Yea purchased the former Choice Dental Care business at 12733 Lake City Way NE, which he promptly renamed Lake City Smiles.

Born in Cambodia, Yea's family moved to the Northwest when he was 10, living first in Oregon, before settling in the Seattle area. Today, Yea has a family of his own: his wife, Janice and their seven-month-old son, Max.

Yea, who received a bachelor's degree in biology from Washington State University, says he first became interested in dentistry after talking with former classmates who had gone on to dental school. He decided to investigate the field before making a career choice, first volunteering at a dental clinic, then working as a dental specialist for a Head Start program, making sure that the participating children had had gotten their required dental checkups.

Dentistry is a field which has seen many rapid advances in recent years, says Yea. He cites advances in cosmetic dentistry, which has become a larger part of most dentist's practices in recent years. "People watch TV, they watch movies, and see all these people with a beautiful smile," he says. "Everyone wants to look good."

For example, many dentists now do more teeth whitening for clients. While this service had been available from dentists in the past, new technology has made the process cheaper, easier, and quicker, he notes.

Another relatively recent advance is the development of dental veneers, a new treatment for damaged teeth which formerly required a crown. Yea likens veneers to "dental wallpaper," a surface treatment which can be used to improve the appearance of crooked or discolored teeth. Unlike crowns, veneers preserve more of the tooth structure, he says, making it a less invasive treatment.

Perhaps the best known trend in dentistry is the growing popularity of dental implants, Yea continues. By inserting a titanium post in the jaw, a new, artificial tooth can be created without the use of a bridge (which requires linking the replacement tooth to an existing tooth).

Implants can also be a huge aid for denture wearers by creating a framework to keep dentures in place at all times. If denture wearers have problems with movement, "they limit activity, they limit the foods they eat," says Yea. With the implants in place, "there are no more worries about eating or smiling or laughing."

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Lake City Smiles is located at 12733 Lake City Way NE, Suite 201. For more information, call 365-2244.