Future of
DENTISTRY
Impacting Lives One Smile At A Time
Produced by Future of Dentistry
Volume XV
Reason for the Season
In today’s hurry up, get it done, needed it yesterday world there is no better
time than the holidays to celebrate the reason for the season… the gift of family
and friends.
Simplify your celebrations: a potluck dinner, brunch, casual cocktail party
where you can enjoy time with all your guests.
Have realistic expectations: The perfect holiday celebration is unrealistic, so
relax and avoid setting yourself up for disappointment. Lower your
expectations and lower your blood pressure.
Make memories: Start new traditions that create fond memories for you and
your family — a sleigh ride, caroling, holiday movie marathon etc…
Last but not least, gift yourself and others the gift of a smile!
To enjoy the holidays, be like
Roman — stay cool and relaxed!
fromthedentist
“A smile is a window on your face to show your heart is home.” —Anonymous
Fact and Fiction: All Sugar-Free Gum Is Not Created Equal
Understanding the Differences
Sugar-free gum is a great alternative to sugared gum, and it helps foster good oral health.
However, there are some points of confusion that we’d like to clear up.
TRUTH: Chewing sugar-free gum promotes the production of saliva. Yes, that’s a
good thing! Saliva washes away food particles, neutralizes acids in the mouth, provides
disease-fighting substances, and carries calcium and phosphate to help strengthen tooth enamel.
MYTH: All sugar-free is the same. We suggest gum or mints with xylitol (rather than
aspartame or sorbitol) because studies suggest it may promote good plaque pH levels. Look for
gum with xylitol as the first ingredient, and look for products with the ADA seal (American
Dental Association).
TRUTH: You have to chew for a while for gum to work. When you hear about studies where sugar-free gum
is linked to fewer cavities, it’s predicated on the idea that you’ll be chewing for a while. About 20 minutes should do it.
MYTH: It has to be gum to work. Xylitol-based, sugar-free candies are an acceptable alternative. They may even
be preferred for some patients, such as those with TMJ. As with gum, duration is important. Choose a hard candy and
let it melt slowly in your mouth — don’t chew it up.
MYTH: Sugar-free gum causes side effects. Xylitol has no known toxicity to humans. While everyone’s body is
different, xylitol is well studied. You shouldn’t expect any side effects from chewing a few pieces a day. However, dogs
can have a toxic and life-threatening reaction to xylitol, so be sure to keep it away from pets.
Sugar-free gum, even with xylitol, isn’t a “silver bullet” answer for good teeth. There’s no substitute for brushing,
flossing and regular hygiene appointments at the dentist’s office. But it’s a useful tool to help you fight cavities and
maintain your oral health.
A Sweet Contribution: Future of Dentistry
Collects 410 lbs of Candy for the Troops
With Outstanding Support from Schools and Residents
Future of Dentistry recently teamed up with the community
for a sweet show of support. We collected over 410 pounds
of candy for the troops, just in time for Veterans Day.
Under the leadership of Dr. Casazza, we participate
annually in the Halloween Candy Buyback program. It
benefits Operation Gratitude, an organization that supports
active-duty troops as well as veterans.
Two local schools contributed to the
buyback’s success. The PTO of
Wakefield’s
Greenwood
School
organized a candy collection, as did
Kerrie Grella’s pre-K class at Little
Treasures Schoolhouse in Lynnfield.
The families at both schools made a
HUGE difference with their large
candy contributions!
There are many great things about
the Halloween Candy Buyback
program. Most importantly, the
troops receive some sweet treats and
a reminder that we appreciate their
efforts.
During the first week of November, Future of Dentistry
purchases surplus Halloween candy from local residents for
$1 per pound. Then we box and ship it and send it to the
troops. This year, we filled 15 big boxes after collecting a
whopping 410 pounds, 9 ounces!
We’d like to thank our patients and the local community for
participating in the program. The show of support was
awesome! Because of you, Future of Dentistry had its most
successful Halloween Candy Buyback yet, easily topping
previous candy totals. We serve the entire north of Boston
area, and residents throughout the region participated.
Schools and Staff Help Out
Dr. Casazza, his wife Danielle and their
son Roman check out the 410 pounds of
candy collected for the troops.
The Tanizaki family drops off their donation.
From left are Luka, Riya and baby Rena.
The troops overseas often share the candy with local residents, especially children. It helps
build trust and foster a relationship with the community where they’re serving.
The program also provides an opportunity to teach children about supporting the troops. Kids
make a sacrifice by trading in some of their candy. It’s a small thing to give up, and they get
cash back to make up for it. But it’s still a big deal for a kid, so it’s a perfect segue to talk about
what our servicemen and women sacrifice when they enter the armed services.
And of course, as dental professionals, we love the idea of kids eating a little less candy!!
We’d also like to thank our awesome employees. They helped collect, organize, weigh, box and
ship all that candy! In particular, Darlene Sablone spearheaded the project with the help of her
daughter Ally Sablone.
We held an in-office poll to see who could estimate the amount of candy we’d collected.
Congratulations to Danielle Famolare and Danielle Casazza, who each earned a prize for their
close guesses!
To learn more about Future of Dentistry and how to participate in next year’s Halloween
Candy Buyback, call 781-245-2299, email [email protected], or contact us through
FutureOfDentistry.com or Facebook.com/FutureOfDentistry.
Dr. Casazza checks out the office’s record-breaking candy collection
with his son Roman, 3. View more photos on our Facebook page at
facebook.com/futureofdentistry.
Happy Holidays from All of Us at Future of Dentistry!
Thank you for all your referrals. We appreciate them!
Impacting Lives One Smile At A Time
DENTISTRY
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officeinformation
Future of Dentistry
Gerry J. Casazza, D.M.D, F.A.G.D.
968 Main Street
Wakefield, Ma 01880-3989
Office Hours
Mon/Tues/Wed
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
7:30 am – 7:00 pm
7:30 am – 8:00 pm
7:30 am – 6:00 pm
7:30 am – 3:00 pm
Contact Information
Office: (781) 245-2299
Email: please contact us through our
website www.futureofdentistry.com
Information included is not dental or medical advice. For your
specific information be sure to consult our office. If you do not wish
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Future of
DENTISTRY
Impacting Lives One Smile At A Time