Winter 2012/2013

Filling You In
with Dr. Czekala & Associates
from the dentist
Produced to improve your dental health and awareness
Season’s Greetings!
Office News!
Here’s hoping that this
finds you in the company
of family and friends as you
celebrate this holiday season.
2012 has been a wonderful and
exciting year for us at the dental
practice, topped off with the SF
Giants winning the World Series
in 4 games!!! How amazing was
that??!!
We are so fortunate to have such
fantastic patients in our practice that
continue to refer quality patients
to our office. It is so gratifying to
read the reviews that you submit
via Demandforce and Yelp. We
appreciate all of the feedback that
helps us to provide you the best care
possible.
As always, this newsletter is
filled with information to help boost
your dental IQ, as well as keep you
informed about the happenings at
the dental office. And don’t forget
to try your hand at the puzzle ... it
could be your lucky day!
Wishing you and yours all the best in
the new year. Happy 2013!!!
Dr. Czekala, Moonka, Cannatella
and Team
P.S. And don’t forget to LIKE
us on Facebook!
Winter 2012/2013
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In September, we celebrated
Dr. Czekala’s 25th year in practice
with a wonderful party at Trader
Vic’s in Emeryville. It was a perfect
night of mai tais and great food with
current and former staff members in
attendance … a total of 60 people were there to share
old memories and create some new ones. Dr. Czekala
presented all the ladies with silver plumeria necklaces
to commemorate the special occasion.
Wedding News
In October, Donna Trenkwalder
(insurance specialist) and her
husband Tim, watched as their
youngest son Stephen married
Chelsea Elstob in a beautiful
ceremony in Monterey. Mother
Nature provided a glorious day for
the event that all will remember.
Also in October,
hygienist Libby
Campbell celebrated
the wedding of her
daughter, Denise, to
Thomas Lyle. The
nuptials took place in
Incline Village, Nevada.
As you can see, the bride
and mother of the bride
looked gorgeous!
T h a n k yo u f or a ll yo u r r e f e rr a ls . W e a ppr e ci at e th e m !
Be Happy.
Live Longer.
Research to pay attention to!
A review of the scientific literature has confirmed...
n People who are happy and positive enjoy a longer
lifespan, possibly because they acquire a higher immune
function.
n It’s also worth considering how a good attitude can
lead to healthy habits and behaviors, which in turn produce
happy outcomes. For example, maintaining healthy
teeth and gums can give you more than a great smile.
It may contribute to a healthy respiratory system and
reduce your risk for pneumonia and chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) according to research
published in the Journal of Periodontology.
n The study supports earlier research suggesting a
relationship between respiratory diseases and gum disease,
a chronic and progressive inflammatory disease that affects
the gum tissue and other structures supporting the teeth.
n Additional research has associated gum disease
with other chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes,
cardiovascular disease, and arthritis, and the list just keeps
growing. Science has established links to kidney disease, premature
births, and cancers including pancreatic and breast cancer.
So you see, cultivating healthy habits and the right attitude can pay
big dividends. Brushing, flossing, and keeping your recare appointments will
keep your smile and your body healthy. Now that’s research to be happy about!
The Noble Carrot
Humble no more!
According to a study published in Evolution and
Human Behavior, eating carrots regularly can give
your skin a healthy, attractive, golden glow that
other people notice. That’s because of pigments
called carotenoids.
A half-cup of cooked carrots provides four
times the recommended dietary allowance of
vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, which
is necessary for healthy skin, eyesight, and
growth. Beta-carotene also has antioxidant
qualities that build resistance to infection,
heart attack, and stroke. Harvard University research
suggests those who eat more than five carrots a
week are much less likely to suffer a stroke than
those who eat one a month.
The National Cancer Institute is studying
how beta-carotene may ward off cancers,
including oral cancers.
So quick like a bunny...
grab a carrot or two!
Ready, Set, Enjoy!
Eat, play, laugh ... again!
You’ve probably met someone
with at least one dental implant, but
you likely didn’t realize it because
once an implant is placed, it is
completely natural looking and fully
functional.
The science of dental implants is
well established. Regardless of the
type of implant used, all are made
of strong bio-compatible materials:
an artificial replacement root and
an enamel-colored crown that is
perfectly matched to your own teeth.
The root helps to preserve bone and
the implant prevents neighboring
teeth from tilting and drifting,
just like a natural tooth would.
Implants can also replace more than
one tooth or stabilize a denture or
bridge. Imagine enjoying meals and
talking and laughing with complete
confidence!
Interested? Let us know so that
we can talk to you about your specific
treatment plan. Give us a call today!
Age Erasers That Work
So you can put your smile back on!
There’s nothing quite like worn-down teeth and ageing restorations for wiping
the smile off your face. Yet these are the problems that sneak up on everybody,
even those who take excellent care of their oral health. Teeth grinding,
clenching, temporomandibular disorder (TMD), along with fillings and
other restorations that have worn out their welcome, can age your smile
and put a dent in your style!
Do any of these sound like you? You have a tooth that is:
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damaged by decay or wear
crumbling because there is more old filling than tooth
fractured or chipped, threatening its structural integrity
discolored by decay or silver-colored fillings
showing signs of root canal treatment
If you said yes even once, don’t worry any more. These types of
smile flaws are usually easier to put right than you might think…
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Beautiful natural-looking white porcelain inlays and onlays can replace worn silver-colored or stained fillings.
Crowns, bridges, and dental implants provide strength as well as beauty.
Bonding and veneers can whiten, re-contour, disguise
minor flaws, strengthen, and restore symmetry.
Got Heartburn?
Try
5
Please don’t let your
smile bring you down.
Some of these most
popular solutions take
only one or two visits!
to minimize!
Avoid your unique food triggers. Common culprits include
chocolate, caffeine, peppermint, spicy foods, butter, oil, fatty
meat, fried foods, citrus fruit, tomatoes, and raw onion.
Avoid alcohol & tobacco. Both promote stomach acid
backing into the esophagus. Smoking reduces the
production of saliva, a natural acid-fighter which also helps
wash down stomach acid.
Eat small meals frequently. A too-full stomach can cause
acids to back up and cause that burning sensation.
Lose a few and loosen up. Obese people are nearly three
times more likely to have heartburn and acid reflux, and
too-tight clothing around your middle can push acid into
the esophagus.
helps stomach acid drain more quickly – by nearly 70%
according to one study.
ML12-1
Elevate your head by 6-8 inches when you sleep. This
X-Rays Are Safe … And Beneficial
We are often asked about how much radiation is produced when
taking dental x-rays, as well as whether dental x-rays are truly
necessary every year. With our current digital x-rays, we use 80% less
radiation than with traditional film x-rays. In comparison, one chest
CT scan is equivalent to 1400 digital dental x-rays. As you can see, it
is comparatively little radiation. By utilizing lead aprons with thyroid
collars, we further limit the amount of radiation exposure to our patients.
As for the necessity of taking x-rays every year, we evaluate each
patient’s needs individually. If the patient is in good dental health, has
a minimal number of fillings/crowns, has not had recent dental decay,
and has good bone levels, then we would only take x-rays once every two
years. However, if the patient has had significant dental work in the past,
then annual dental x-rays are a necessary tool in helping us diagnose
dental problems. There is nothing more frustrating than a patient
refusing dental x-rays for years and then presenting with a problem that
could have been identified if x-rays were taken at an earlier appointment.
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Our last word search puzzle had over 300 correct entries! The
winner of the $100 Amazon.com gift certificate was Brady Bowman.
Congratulations Brady!
You could be our next puzzle winner. Entries must be received by
Friday, February 1, 2013. Good luck!
office information Swim A Mile For Women With Cancer
Dr. Czekala & Associates
Steven R. Czekala, DDS
Lisa Y. Cannatella, DDS
Priyanka Moonka, DDS
9301 Fircrest Lane, Suite 7
San Ramon, CA 94583-3960
Office Hours
Mon-Thu
Friday
Saturday
7:00 am – 5:00 pm
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
8:00 am – 1:00 pm *
* 2 Saturdays per month
Contact Information
Office
Fax
Email
Web site
(925) 828-5335
(925) 829-6170
[email protected]
www.smilesanramon.com
Office Staff
Cindy, Libby, Ann, Heidi, Lesa, Elizabeth,
Katie, Julieta......................... Hygienists
Michelle, Kelly, Lynn, Kim...... Assistants
Debbie, Ann, Donna, Genie....Front Office
Kris, Donna............Insurance Specialists
Carol............................. Office Manager
Information included is not dental or medical advice. For your
specific information be sure to consult our office. If you do not wish
to receive this newsletter, please contact us directly.
In October, Dr. Czekala joined the Rivello
family in participating in the Swim-A-Mile
fundraiser at Mills College. This was a benefit
for the Women’s Cancer Resource Center in
Oakland. Three generations of the Rivello
family got in the pool and accomplished
their goal!! Together we raised nearly $4000
for a fantastic cause.
In more swimming news, Dr. Czekala
traveled to Riccione, Italy in June to
compete in the World Masters Swimming Championships. There were over 10,000
swimmers from all over the world competing. Each day the competition began at
7 am and completed at 11 pm That made for one long day! Dr. Czekala’s best
finish was 7th in the 400 IM in his age group. Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps
better watch out!
Are you on Facebook? Well so are we!!
We have started posting photographs and articles on our Facebook page to keep
our patients and friends up to date with all that is going on at the office. To entice you into taking a
peek, we are having a drawing for everyone who “LIKES” our Facebook page. If you “LIKE” our page
before February 1, 2013, we will enter your name for a drawing to win $100 gift card to Target.
Go on Facebook and look for Steven Czekala, DDS and Associates for our page. Check it out and let
us know what you think. Good luck!
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