1. Start with your family dentist. Your family dentist probably makes referrals to reconstructive dentists on a regular basis, and should be able to provide you with a good recommendation.
2. Check whether the reconstructive dentist you are considering is a member of the American Dental Association. You can get this information from the ADA website.
3. Make sure that the dentist is properly licensed and certified in your state. The dentist’s website will often provide information on his education, training and licensure. Don’t feel uncomfortable asking for this information; a reputable, quality dentist has nothing to hide and will be proud to share his background with you.
4. Ask the dentist how many times he has performed the procedure that you will be having. You don’t want to be the dentist’s guinea pig while he tries out a procedure for the first time. The reconstructive dentist that you choose should have performed the procedure that you will be having many, many times.
5. Ask to see before and after photos of the procedure you will have. The dentist that you choose should have photographic evidence of his quality work. You deserve to know what kind of results you can expect before you turn over your care and the future of your teeth to a reconstructive dentist.
6. Meet the dentist for an initial consultation before you commit to a big procedure. This will give you a good idea of what kind of bedside manner the dentist has to offer. You should always choose a dentist who makes you feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible. The same goes for the office staff. Everyone there should make you feel both welcome and comfortable. If you meet the dentist and dislike his bedside manner or feel anxious about the situation, move on. There are reconstructive dentists who will do everything they can to put you at ease.
7. Ask for detailed information about your procedure. The dentist should be able to explain to you in detail what will happen in your procedure and what results you can expect. It is always important to be an informed patient, and your dentist should be willing to take the time to explain everything to you in terms that you can understand.
8. Don’t be afraid to discuss the financial aspect of your treatment. Your reconstructive dentist’s staff should verify your insurance coverage for you prior to treatment so that you know your financial responsibility prior to the procedure. Ask about payment plans; reconstructive dentists are often willing to set up a payment plan so that you can get the treatment you need and structure payments that work for your budget.

When you need a reconstructive dentist in Omaha, call Dr. T.J. Bolt. Dr. Bolt has been in practice since 1984. In addition to his own educational dental credentials, he has also taught dentistry as a clinical instructor and serves as a faculty member of the Schuster Center.

We at Dr. Bolt’s office want to provide you with comprehensive dental care in a soothing, calm environment. We see just one patient at a time, so that you have our full attention. Our procedures are performed in a treatment suite equipped with state of the art tools, and we have a patient lounge where you can retreat for a break during your procedure.

Contact Dr. Bolt for your reconstructive dentistry procedure, and let us provide you with a relaxing dental experience that achieves beautiful results.

Living in the present will make your stress go down and your happiness go up

Now here is the cool thing that I came upon. When you are fully engaged with an activity that is in alignment with your life’s purpose, time passes by very quickly. Hours are like minutes. There is a term for this coined by a very smart man named Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who has done extensive research in this area, “FLOW”. “The combination of all these elements causes a sense of deep enjoyment that is so rewarding people feel that expending a great deal of energy is worthwhile simply to be able to feel it.” These elements are doing activities we are doing must be both challenging and the ones that we have the ability to pull off. Here’s the pearl. Dr. Henry Cloud states that as he studied the accounts of people in flow, “The timeliness that these people talk about happens because they have exited earthly experiences and tasted a bit of eternity. Heaven knows no time, and when we are closest to heaven, we know no time either.”

God does not want us to waste our time. He wants us to be whole hearted, to surround ourselves in activities that we use our diligence, giftedness, and self-control. When we are connected to our life purpose we are involved in activities that do all these things and obtain that FLOW. It is a great place to be.

1. First, verify the periodontist’s education and board certification. A periodontist is a specialist who has completed four years of training as a dentist and additional training in a periodontology program. Your periodontist should be a certified member of the American Board of Periodontology (ABP). That certification must be renewed every six years, and ABP requires a certain amount of continuing education credits for recertification. However, any additional continuing education beyond the minimum required by the ABP is an asset, because it means that your periodontist is familiar with the latest science and procedures. In addition, some of them are members of the American Academy of Periodontists, which is a professional association for specialized periodontists. Check whether he or she is an active member of the AAP.
2. Consider the number of years that your periodontist has been in practice. A periodontist who has been practicing for many years will have lots of experience with difficult or complicated cases. However, a periodontist who has been practicing for many years may be set in his ways or unfamiliar with newer techniques and methods. A periodontist who is new to practice has the benefit of being well versed in the latest techniques. This can provide an edge over a more experienced, but old-fashioned periodontist. Ideally, you should choose a periodontist who has a reasonable record of experience but who has also kept up to date with the newest methods and techniques through continuing education opportunities. This combination gives you the best of both worlds.
3. Identify your reason for needing treatment with a periodontist, and make sure that it aligns with his or her specialty. Within the field of periodontology, some periodontists specialize in more specific treatments. For example, some periodontists specialize in non-surgical treatment options, while others specialize in particular procedures, like gum grafting or bone regeneration. The more experience he or she has in cases like yours, the better your results will be.
4. Before you commit to a long treatment regimen, meet the periodontist and his staff. Periodontic treatment often involves many visits. Your periodontist and staff should make you feel welcome, relaxed, and comfortable. Your periodontist’s job is not only to care for your mouth, but also to make you feel at ease throughout the process. Take note of whether the periodontist and the other employees in the office are patient and sensitive to your concerns, and whether they spend sufficient time addressing your needs. You should not feel rushed when you visit the office. The right periodontist will make you feel comfortable and well cared for throughout your course of treatment.

Dr. TJ Bolt provides periodontial services to residents of Omaha, NE. He believes in providing excellent dentistry by offer a low volume, private care environment characterized by individual relationships between the patient and his team members. We work closely with the patient to create a lifetime plan for treatment that focuses on complete dental health, including the mind, body, and spirit. We have made it our commitment to help every patient need the least amount of dental care over their lifetime. Contact Dr. TJ Bolt’s office today for an appointment with an excellent dentist in Omaha.

The acronym S.M.A.R.T. may be a helpful reminder of things that are needed to make sure the goals are achieved in what ever you do. “S” stands for specific. When you have a dream of accomplishing something, make sure that the goals that you set are specific and crystal clear. An example of this concept is this time of year many say that they want to lose weight. The question is, how much and why. Incorporate this into your goal and your chances for accomplishing this goal will increase.
“M” means that the goal must be measureable. Having this feedback is critical to know where you are and where you want to go. It also serves to help you know when you get there. “A” stands for attainable. Is the goal that you set able to be attained? “R” is for realistic. The goal in order to be attained must be realistic. Lastly the “T” stands for time. There must be a specific time when you plan to attain a goal.

Knowing these things when you set goals will help you to accomplish a great deal in 2013. People who set goals are always successful. They plan, and work the plan. I always say to my patients that if you have a plan you will succeed. To have no plan is to plan to fail. We have the patients set both short and long term goals. We also give them feedback on how well they are doing in accomplishing those goals with measurable objective information. That way they know whether they are moving closer to or farther way from their health.

Good luck on setting and accomplishing your goals in 2013. If you would like more information about how to take control of your health in 2013 or if you are healthy how to make sure that you stay that way, please call me at 572-8000 or contact me through my website at www.drtjbolt.com

It’s 2012 and people reaching 70 years are the new 50. 100 could be the new 70. Of course genes, lifestyle, ability to chew and eat, plays a factor in longevity. How long are you planning to live?

It is one thing to increase a person’s lifespan but what is their quality of life going to be? People are seeking age reversing medical and dental care in record numbers.

How will you spend the remaining years of your life? It could be struggling through each day or enjoying a wonderful day with a good quality of health. It all starts with some preplanning. It starts with finding health care providers and not just disease care specialists. It is finding health coaches in the creative orientation and not just providers taking care of disease. It starts with setting goals and having someone care enough about you to help you be accountable to what you say that you wanted. Now these providers are hard to find since the majority in doctors are favoring the reactive disease care mode, but health care providers are out there. It depends if you want to be in control of your health or you want your disease to take control of you. Dean Ornish MD said, “Take time for your health today or you will be forced to take time for your disease later.”

To create health you can’t take it for granted. You have to be part of the process. It makes good sense for you to take care of yourself, since you may be around for a long time as the above statistics are showing us. If you are spinning around in the disease cycle and would like to get on a different path and would like more information on health coaches please give me a call at 402-572-8000, or check out my website at www.drtjbolt.com

In Hans Selye’s book Stress Without Distress, work is discussed at great length and I would like to share just a passage and encourage you to find something that you are passionate about in order to live a purpose filled life.

Selye states, Man Must Work: Just as muscles become flabby and degenerate if not used, so our brain slips onto chaos and confusion unless we constantly use it for some work that seems worthwhile to us. In the book he sites the great Canadian physician William Osler who recognized the significance of work:

Though little, the master word looms large in meaning. It is the “open sesame” to every portal, the great equalizer; the philosopher’s stone which transmutes all base metal of humanity into gold. The stupid it will make bright, the bright brilliant, and the brilliant steady. To youth, it brings hope, to the middle-aged confidence,, to the aged repose. It is directly responsible for all advances in medicine during the past twenty-five years. Not only has it been the touchstone of progress, but it is the measure of success in everyday life. And the master word is WORK.

Happy Labor Day 2012.

The protection that one has against expensive dental bills is PREVENTION. How does one prevent dental disease? There are three reasons why people lose their teeth. They are, tooth decay, gum disease, and bad bite. The first two reasons, tooth decay and gum disease in most cases are diseases of choice. They are caused by acids that coat the teeth, eating away at everything it sits on. Understanding what you can do to remove this acid is the key to prevention.

People are not born with this knowledge, and having a dental team that is skilled in coaching techniques, partnering with you to help you take control is the secret to recession proofing your mouth. To many people leave their health to fate or luck, and this is very sad. Just going to the dentist is not good enough. It is what you are doing out of the office that is what will keep you healthy. The key is finding the right team for not all dental offices is skilled at prevention. The practice team must be designed with the intention of helping people be healthy, for the alternative is an office team designed to fix disease. There are two fundamentally different positions philosophically The way to tell what office you are in is if the discussion with you is future focused on where you see yourself 10 years from now looking at causes of disease or is the office team just interested in fixing the problem with no discussion on how it happened and what to do to prevent it in the future.

Knowing how to prevent dental disease being coached to meet your goals is the key to recession proofing your mouth For more information you can visit my website at www.drtjbolt.com.