Dr. T.J. Bolt went to Creighton University for both his undergraduate degree and Dental School. After graduating from the dental school in 1984, Dr. Bolt went on to teach for ten years at Creighton's dental school. In 1991, Dr. Bolt went to study at the L.D. Pankey Institute - a school which was designed to help dentists become a physician for the mouth. After graduating from the L.D. Pankey Institute, Dr. Bolt also attended the Schuster Center for Professional Development, where he learned to slow his dental practice down. Dr. Bolt started his current practice in October of 2002. He called it Total Dental Health in reference to the totality of his goals in treating his patients.

Previous Columns from 2010:

The Benefits of a Plan

By: Dr. T.J. Bolt, D.D.S.

Last month we talked about setting goals. Goals without action are worthless. So this month let's talk about why a plan is so important to your success in whatever you do. Would you like a more certain, future for your mouth? Would you like to know that you could be free of disease in your mouth, so that cavities and gum disease would be a thing of the past for you? Here is a way to be able to do this.

First there has to be a plan made that fits your needs. Dentistry can be done several ways. Think of a trip that you would be planning to Chicago. If you want to get there in good time and not be frustrated or get lost, you will plan the trip by looking at road maps, deciding on the scenic or the fastest route and not just stop at a gas station every 100 miles and ask if you are still on the right track, getting closer to the destination. The same holds true, for having a more certain dental future. In traditional dentistry you ask if anything is wrong, fix today's problems and never look ahead. Dentistry can be very predictable. In order to be able to plan effectively a very thorough examination needs to be performed. One must know something about the state that exists in there mouth. You must know what causes disease of the mouth and how does one prevent disease from occurring? Plaque causes tooth decay and gum disease. One must know what role that he or she plays in preventing the disease in the first place. Brushing plaque away is difficult especially since we cannot see this tenacious product of saliva, bacteria, and food particles. If this can be kept to a minimum, you can win the battle against tooth decay and gum disease. I have found that few people have even been taught about the cause of their disease, much less shown how to remove this. Even more importantly, after being shown, is to demonstrate the effectiveness to control plaque on the teeth. This creates a win: how to control the disease and what causes it. Lastly, the diet can play a role in increased tooth decay.

Since we have found that people entering our practice have suffered for many years with disease, and the fact that they know very little on how to prevent this, we created a strategy to help people to succeed in their efforts to need the least amount of dental care in their lifetime. This is called the Dental Fitness Program. We can communicate from one appointment to the next on whether a patient is moving towards their goal of keeping their teeth healthy or moving away from it. This way they know well in advance if they are more susceptible to dental problems or not. We input this information into the computer every time that a patient comes in for continuing care. This information is grafted and if the patient is not as healthy as they want to be, we can then set up a strategy for them to get results.

Dental disease is not curable but it is truly preventable if one has a coach that can help them succeed in their efforts. This strategy really works and we can prove that it does by the many people that we have helped since implementing this program in 1996. If you have been suffering from dental problems and are tired of it, know that there is help for you. Call Lou Ann at 572-8000 and find out more about this wonderful approach to helping you have the least amount of dental care over your lifetime and keeping your teeth problem free.

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