Our mission is to provide quality comprehensive dentistry for our patients at the same level of personal attention, respect and professional care that we would want for ourselves or our families. We are committed to maintaining a facility that provides service in a caring, comfortable manner with state of the art technology while adhering to the highest standards of infection control. With this comes a commitment to seek out the best quality team members, continuing education and products so that our patients benefit from the latest and best that dentistry has to offer. It is our goal to develop lasting relationships with each other and our patients based upon mutual trust, respect and understanding through open communication. We believe in providing preventative dental health care for the whole family so they can enjoy the benefits of strong, healthy teeth and gums. We take pride in each other, the services we deliver, and the individuals we have the opportunity to serve
I was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska. I am a graduate of Lincoln Pius X, Nebraska Wesleyan University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Dentistry. As a dentist, I began practice in Manhattan, Kansas in 1999. In the fall of 2001 we moved back to Lincoln to be closer to family and to return to the community we love. I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Jim Ganser, my mentor and friend, here at Optimal Dental for the next 12 years before he retired.
I love the profession of Dentistry. I really enjoy the technical aspect of the profession; however, the most fun for me is the people we have the good fortune to serve. It is so fun to develop special relationships with both the staff and our patients. I look forward every morning to going through our schedule and finding out what friends we get to see. It is my continual quest to always determine how we can be a better practice for our patients. We continually evolve our facility, products, and technology to be the best we can be for you. I make an effort to seek out the best continuing education that is offered. I often times exceed our professional requirements required for C. E. by 100 hours in a year. I simply want to be the best practitioner I can be with a very diverse approach to Dentistry delivered at a high aptitude.
I have been blessed to be married to my wonderful wife, Jocelyn since 1996. Being involved with our three children, Collin (2000), Grant (2001), Tessa (2006), consumes most of our time outside the office. My current interests include everything they are involved with. I enjoy playing golf, being involved with our church, watching a good movie or reading a book, when time allows.
The professional associations I belong to include the Lincoln Dental Association, the Nebraska Dental Association, the American Dental Association, the International Association for Orthodontics, and the American Orthodontic Society.
I originally grew up on a farm outside Nebraska City. I attended UNL and then The Nebraska College of Dentistry, graduating in 2008. I began practicing with an office in Corvallis, Oregon. After two years, I desired to further my education and moved to Kansas City to participate in a one year Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency. After completing my residency in 2011, I was excited to return to Nebraska to be closer to family and friends. I joined the team at Optimal Dental in 2014 when Dr. Ganser was ready to retire. I also teach half a day a week at the University of Nebraska, College of Dentistry.
I love having the opportunity to create lasting relationships with patients and help educate them on what we can do to give them the best oral health possible. I am passionate about advancing technology in dentistry, and how we can best use it to benefit our patients.
I also enjoy getting to work with dental students. They are the future of our profession. It is a wonderful blessing to be able to see the excitement students have for learning new things in dentistry and how to become better dentists.
I have been married to the love of my life, Lisa since 2018. In 2020 we welcomed identical twin girls into our family, Hattie and Monroe. In my free time, I enjoy golfing, running, trivia, and playing with our dog Sage. Im a sports nut and can usually be found at most Nebraska sporting events. I have also been very involved as an alumn of FarmHouse Fraternity.
Professionally I belong to the Lincoln District Dental Association, the Nebraska Dental Association, the American Dental Association, and the Academy of General Dentistry. I was honored to receive the Outstanding Young Dental Professional Award from the NDA in 2019.
I had the opportunity to marry the love of my life this last August, Lisa. I am excited for the life we are starting together, and our new Havanese puppy Sage. When not working, I enjoy running, golfing, broomball, trivia, and skiing. Im a sports nut and can usually be found at most Nebraska sporting events. I have also been very involved as an alumn of FarmHouse Fraternity.
Orthodontic care isnt only about making your teeth straight. It is important to make the teeth straight along with establishing a healthy, proper position of the jaw and its TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint) as well as maintaining a healthy, open airway. Early identification and treatment is crucial in a persons overall long term health. It has been documented that 90% of a childs craniofacial growth is established by age 12. Many children (70%) will have some sort of malocclusion and these problems begin and can be recognized early in their lives.
All our assessments begin with identifying functional problems first, followed by skeletal problems, and finally dental problems. Functional problems are a key indicator of what may have created the childs malocclusion. Functional problems include constricted airway (tonsils and adenoids), finger sucking, and habit behavior. It is important these issues be solved first to help treatment be successful otherwise you are faced with potential relapse, worsening of the condition, or maintaining an unhealthy environment. Skeletal problems include but are not limited to how the upper and lower jaw relate to each other, if either jaw is constricted or too small, there are deficiencies or overgrowth in the upper or lower jaw, and in what direction is the growth is occurring. Dental problems would include: are there impaction of teeth, size discrepancies of teeth, alignment problems, or crowding.
As dentists, we believe it is important to address these concerns earlyand not wait until cranial growth is almost complete, allowing conditions to worsen, possibly requiring permanent tooth extraction or possible jaw surgery to make the teeth and bone straight. At Optimal Dental we utilize a two phase approach to Orthodontics when necessary. Phase one is a functional orthopedic treatment. Functional Orthopedics utilizes fixed or removable appliances to allow easy and comfortable growth modification to help the child achieve proper jaw dimension and position. This helps provide room for the eruption of permanent teeth, positions the lower jaw in its proper dimension, and helps establish a healthy airway during the growth phase of a child. Phase two treatment is utilizing braces or Invisalign when necessary to correct any further tooth alignment issues after all the permanent teeth have erupted. When we have used phase one functional orthopedic treatment first it is possible that phase two treatment (braces/Invisalign) may not be necessary and if they are, treatment time is typically less than if we didnt begin treatment until age 12 or later.
Invisalign Treatment Provides Many Benefits. As the name implies,Invisalign trays are nearly invisible, allowing you to go throughout your daily activities with most people being unaware that you are undergoing orthodontic treatment! The aligners are custom-made for you, ensuring a perfect, comfortable fit. Additionally, it is easier to keep everything clean, and you do not need to give up any of your favorite foods as the trays are removed when you eat.
As an Invisalign patient,youll generally have fewer office visits than those with traditional braces.So if you have a busy schedule but still want to improve your smile, Invisalign might be just the thing for you! Not everyone is a good candidate for Invisalign, but if you are, it may be a great option to achieve your dream smile!