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Author: Dr. Susan Chu

Dr. Susan Chu is a general and cosmetic dentist and the founder of Cedar Dental Group in Renton, WA. She is committed to helping patients feel at ease while delivering personalized, high-quality care — from routine exams to smile enhancements. Dr. Chu believes that every patient deserves clear answers, a comfortable experience, and a treatment plan that fits their goals.

Missing a Back Molar in Renton? How to Choose Who Places the Implant

Gloved hands holding a titanium dental implant post and a porcelain molar crown side by side on a tray

Direct Answer: If you’re missing a back tooth in Renton and want a periodontist on-site, Cedar Dental Group places implants surgically and restores them in-house, so one chart covers the scan, the surgery, and the final crown. If you’ve lost a back molar, you already know the drill. You chew on one side, you avoid […]

Gum Graft, Periodontal Surgery, or Bone Graft: Which Were You Told You Need?

Periodontal probe, vial of granules, and surgical forceps laid out on a sterile dental tray

Direct Answer: A gum graft rebuilds receded gum tissue over exposed roots. Periodontal surgery cleans and reshapes deep infected pockets under the gumline. A bone graft rebuilds missing jawbone volume. Three different tissues, three different problems. You walk out to your car off Hardie Avenue, start the engine, and realize you cannot repeat back what […]

Your Medicare Advantage Dental Benefit for 2027: What to Read Before Oct 15

Open plan booklet, highlighter, and reading glasses on a kitchen table during fall enrollment season

Direct Answer: Medicare Advantage dental benefits can change each plan year. Read your plan’s Annual Notice of Change before the October 15 to December 7 window to see what your 2027 dental coverage actually pays. Every fall I take the same call. Someone in Renton tells me their plan card says it includes dental, and […]

4.3 million toothpaste tubes recalled: how to check the tube in your bathroom

Hand turning a toothpaste tube to inspect the crimped end over a bathroom sink in morning light

Direct Answer: The FDA’s 2026 recall covers more than 4.3 million tubes of fluoride toothpaste sold under Brush Buddies, Crayola, Hot Wheels, My Little Pony, evo, ARU and BB. Check your brand, then replace it. If you saw the recall headline in late October and immediately thought about the tube sitting next to your sink, […]

The Claim Came Back Denied: How to Read the EOB and Ask for an Itemized Bill

Two paper statements on a kitchen table with a highlighter, reading glasses, and coffee in morning light

Direct Answer: An EOB is not a bill. Read it first, then ask the office for an itemized statement showing each code, the allowed amount, the plan payment, and your portion. You sat in the chair, paid what the front desk quoted, and went home thinking the money part was finished. Then six weeks later […]

Your Crown Came Off: What to Do Before You’re Seen, and Why It Happened

A porcelain dental crown that came off sitting in a glass of water on a kitchen counter beside a dinner plate

Direct Answer: A crown that comes off is usually a cement or structure problem, not a broken tooth. Keep the crown, rinse it, chew on the other side, and get seen within a day or two. You were eating dinner, felt something hard that should not have been there, and spit a small white cap […]

Picking Your 2027 FSA Amount When a Crown or Implant Is on Your List

Dental model with a single porcelain crown on a desk beside a pen, blank paper, and coffee mug

Direct Answer: Work backward from treatment your dentist has already discussed, add an allowance for preventive visits, then check your employer’s cap. Your FSA covers what your dental plan’s annual maximum will not. There is a blank box on your benefits portal at work asking for a dollar amount. And there is a dental estimate […]

PEBB Dental Open Enrollment: Uniform Dental Plan vs. DeltaCare vs. Willamette

Dental receptionist gesturing toward treatment hallway while speaking with a patient couple in a sunlit modern office waiting area

Direct Answer: PEBB and SEBB open enrollment runs October 26 to November 23, 2026. Uniform Dental Plan is a PPO. DeltaCare and Willamette are managed care plans that assign you to a contracted clinic. If you work for a Washington state agency, a public school district, or a public college, you have a short window […]

Can a Deep Cleaning and a Filling Be Done in the Same Visit?

Dental treatment estimate printout beside a mirror and scaler on a clinical counter in a modern dental operatory

Direct Answer: Sometimes, yes. It depends on which quadrants are involved, how much chair time each needs, and whether a filling sits near the gumline, where tissue should settle first. You walked out of your exam holding an estimate with two different kinds of work on it. Maybe scaling and root planing for your gums, […]

It Only Hurts When You Bite Down: Finding a Crack an X-Ray Cannot Show

Fiber optic light held against a lower molar revealing a thin dark hairline crack an X-ray cannot show

Direct Answer: A sharp jolt when you bite or release, with no pain in between, usually points to a crack rather than a cavity. Standard X-rays often miss hairline fractures, so a bite test is needed. Here is the call I take more often than almost any other: a tooth that feels completely normal all […]