gherardi & moore pa

Well, it’s hard to believe it is the holiday season again.  This will mark my 38^th Christmas in dentistry, 37 of them in this office!  It seems Christmas comes around quicker every year.  Several years ago, I wrote an editorial for Christmas about how I still believe in Santa Claus.  Glad to say I still believe.

It’s not that I think some jolly elf is going to bring me presents (I’m rarely on the “nice” list anyway), but I do believe that the spirit of St. Nicholas is alive and comes to all of us at Christmas, if we just let it.  Christmas season has always been a special time for me.  Not all my past Christmas seasons were good – some were sad or difficult times; but I always have been blessed to feel the spirit of Christmas.

Perhaps it is because of my up-bringing.  My father, a hard-working farmer for 51 weeks out of the year, always seemed to put aside Christmas week to stop working and spend time enjoying family and friends.  Whether it was arguing with my Grandmother about how to make the ravioli, sitting back and watching his children and grand-children play, taking extra time to decorate, or just listening to Christmas carols, he made sure the Christmas spirit was alive within our family.  Christmas always brought out the child in him, the one that believes in miracles and spirits.  I have come to believe that there is much more to this life than just what we are aware of in the day-to-day grind.  There is a spirit or presence around us that you need to be ready to take in, whenever we are lucky enough to get a little glimpse.  It’s just that it seems much more visible during Christmas.

So this year, take some time to relax, count your blessings (however few or many they may be), and allow the spirit of Christmas and St. Nicholas to make the Holidays special for you.  I hope they are.  Our office is blessed with a great staff, and I am blessed with great partners.  Together we are more than a great dental office, we are an extended family.  All of you, patients and friends, who have helped me make it 38 years in dentistry and still enjoy it, are certainly on my blessings list!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!

Robert J. Gherardi DMD

• Tooth enamel is the strongest substance in the human body. It is one of the only body parts that cannot regenerate or repair itself.
• Most people tend to chew more on the side of their dominate hand. Are you right or left?
• The average person produces two to four pints of saliva a day. That’s a lot of spit! It helps to keep your mouth moist and helps rinse off bacteria which causes cavities and bad breath.
• Your jaw muscle (masseter) is the most powerful muscle in the body (per square inch). It can produce, on average, 200 pounds of force. That is why if you a re a tooth grinder or clencher, you can cause major damage to your teeth. Ouch!

It has been a little while since I have written one of our editorials, and I must say it’s good to be back. As many of you know, it was a bit of a rough year for me and for my family; but life goes on, and things are definitely much improved from a year ago. My energy has returned, I’m back working full-time, and once again I’m feeling like my old self.

Through it all, I discovered just how blessed I was to have so many people in my life supporting me through my health battle. I am forever indebted to my family, friends, and everyone here at Gherardi & Moore. While I was away getting better, it also showed me just how much I enjoy being your dentist. Thank you all for the countless get-well wishes. Your words of kindness and wisdom meant so much.

A battle with cancer will change you. Many of you know this personally. For me, it helped to reboot my perspective on life. It helped me to realize that I needed to focus more on the here-and-now and less on the distant future. As the holidays approach, I encourage you all to focus on the present. The past is the past: Learn from it and move on. The future is uncertain: Tomorrow is promised to no one. The present however, like the word says, is a present: It is a gift. Enjoy every moment of it. Don’t take any day for granted, and never pass up a chance to tell those close to you just how much they mean to you.

Thanks so much for allowing us to be your home for dental care, and I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas, and a blessed New Year.

{{David Moore signature}}

We are pleased to announce the addition of another dental hygienist, Alyssa Flores, to our full time staff. After being one of our favorite substitutes, our part-time Friday hygienist (and recently having a new bundle of joy), we convinced Alyssa to stay with us full time. She will help provide more available appointments for dental cleanings. We love having her as part of our office!

We now have another room – our 9th operatory! This will allow us to see patients more efficiently with less waiting. In addition, this room is handicapped accessible, with its own exterior door, allowing for easy entrance and exit with wheelchairs or walkers. The doctors’ treatment cart is mobile, making it easier for them to move in order to provide maximum accommodation to the patient.

With all these additions to our facility and our staff, we want to thank all of you for your past referrals, and remind you that we ALWAYS welcome new patients. With three dentists, we are able to do most all dental procedures in our office; however, we will refer to specialist if needed.

We know our success depends on you and we thank you for your past support. We look forward to doing our very best for many years to come!

It’s that time of year again! We are offering our half-off custom bleach kit special. Call us today to schedule your appointment for impressions during the month of December, and pay only half the regular price for a custom bleach kit!

RECIPE – Baked Tortellini with Kale Pesto

Ingredients
Kosher salt
12- to 14-ounce package spinach and cheese tortellini
7 cups baby kale (about 8 oz)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 3 ounces)
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons pine nuts, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook as the label directs. Reserve ¼ cup cooking water, then drain. Reserve the pot.

Puree 4 cups kale, olive oil and garlic in blender until almost smooth. Add ¼ cup parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Pulse until smooth, adding up to 1/4 cup tap water if needed.

Transfer the pesto to the reserved pot along with the heavy cream; stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium low; stir in the tortellini, sun-dried tomatoes and the remaining kale, adding the reserved cooking water as needed to loosen. Transfer to 9 X 13-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the mozzarella.

Combine panko, pine nuts, parsley and remaining 2 Tbsp. parmesan in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over tortellini and bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/baked-tortellini-with-kale-pesto-3562862?soc=sharemail

GIVE THE GIFT OF ORAL HEALTH!
Refer your family and friends

NEW PATIENTS ONLY
FREE INITIAL EXAMINATION/CONSULTATION AND NECESSARY X-RAYS
Must use this code “HEALTHY MOUTH” and let us know who referred you
Expires 2/28/2018
We appreciate your confidence and trust in our office.
THANK YOU!

We have several ways for you to contact us, but if you are having a dental emergency, please call the office at 505-293-6125. Even when the office is closed, our voice mail message has phone numbers for each of our three doctors. If you call one of them and don’t hear from us in a reasonable amount of time, call one of the other two doctors. We are always available and happy to help, and we have three docs – use us!

You may have noticed in recent months that we have stopped sending out paper postcards to remind you about your upcoming appointment. Instead, we are sending one-month reminders via e-mail and text.

Look for electronic reminders:
• When you make a new appointment
• One month prior to your appointment
• Two days prior to your appointment

Of course, if you don’t have e-mail or don’t text, we are always happy to call you the day before your appointment. Please make sure we have current phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and billing addresses for you.