(Missing from this photo are Kristen, Lise, Mette, and Julie. Included is Dr. Somerville, who we invited to join because he made a few friends while practicing dentistry with us for 33.5 years!)

Our holiday parties are always filled with good natured fun, though there are sometimes tense  moments when team members steal gifts from each other during the Yankee Gift Exchange. 

Wishing you and your families Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Joyful Kwanzaa! We hope that your celebrations this year are merry and bright, and that 2023 treats you and your loved ones with kindness.

In This Issue:

• Holiday Schedule and Inclement Weather
• What is D0180?
• New Missed Appointment Protocol
• Holiday Poem
• Honoring Our Team Members
• Recipe of the Month: The Perfect Charcuterie Board
• Please Leave us a Review!

Holiday Schedule

We are currently scheduling routine cleanings and new patients into April. Appointments with the doctors for restorative treatments are being scheduled a couple of weeks out. 

We will be closed:

• Christmas on Monday, December 26th
• New Year’s Day on Monday, January 2nd.

If you can’t schedule an appointment on your preferred day, schedule for the next available date and ask to be added to our “ASAP list.” We will call you if we get an opening in our schedule, and hopefully be able to get you in sooner. You can also give a call a couple of days in advance of your preferred day to see if we had any last minute cancellations. The holidays are a tumultuous time and our schedule is constantly changing. We hope that we’ll be able to see you soon!

***A NOTE ABOUT INCLEMENT WEATHER***

It’s also the time of year where we have to worry about ice and snow. If our office will be delayed or closed for inclement weather, we will post on Facebook and change our office voicemail. We will also do our best to reach scheduled patients with a text message, e-mail, or phone call.

What is D0180?

You may have noticed on your invoices or dental claims that we’re using the exam code D0180. D0180, Comprehensive Periodontal Evaluation, is a code that we use for established patients who are due for their annual periodontal charting. During this visit we take a detailed look and measure the pocket depths surrounding each tooth, to determine your risk for periodontal disease. We will also identify if and where your gums are bleeding and the overall health of the gingiva. These exams require more time than your routine check-up. 

This exam is covered by your Dental Health Club Membership. If you have questions regarding this code’s coverage with your dental insurance, please contact your plan provider. 

New Missed Appointment Protocol 

Sometimes life happens and the last thing on your mind is your dental appointment. We completely understand and have been very forgiving since the pandemic began. As busy as our schedule is now (we’re booking into May), we need to clamp down on our last minute cancellations and no shows. 

We reserve about an hour for most dental appointments, and when a patient cancels at the last minute or doesn’t come in, we’re unable to offer that time to another patient. Patients who are experiencing a toothache or who have been waiting for months for a dental cleaning can’t be seen when you don’t advise us in advance that you won’t be coming in.

Beginning January 1, 2023 we will be instituting a new missed appointment protocol. Any appointment that is not canceled with at least 24 hours notice will be considered a missed appointment. All missed appointments will incur a fee of $100.00. After 3 missed appointments, you may be dismissed from the practice.

If you know you’ll be missing an appointment, please call us in advance and we’ll be glad to reschedule you.

Holiday Wishes

By Joanna Fuchs

We wish for you a holiday
That’s better than your dreams,
Filled with peace, goodwill and hope
And firelight that gleams,
Overflowing with holiday spirit
Good food and holiday laughter;
And when it’s done, We hope that you
Live happily ever after!

Honoring Our Team Members

To learn more about our team members, visit Our Team page on our website.

MVP – Front Desk 

Every month we recognize a team member who has gone above and beyond for our patients or other team members. 

In November, we recognized our Front Desk for being incredibly flexible and putting our patients first. They are excellent team players and are always helping out where needed in the office. We literally couldn’t do what we do without our Front Desk and we’re thankful for having such an amazing group of individuals working with us. 

Invisible Worker Recognition

Behind the scenes, we want to recognize those team members who make our day to day run smoothly. Annette tackles our OR scheduling with hospitals and making sure that patients submit all their paperwork, enabling us to bring our patients in for treatment. Annette is a true advocate for our patients with special needs! Oscar is always willing to work in whatever position our practice needs, shifting seamlessly from assisting to front desk.

The Perfect Charcuterie Board

Source: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/charcuterie-board/

Everything you need to know to make the perfect Charcuterie Board including food ideas, recipes, and pro tips for assembling and displaying your charcuterie board for any season or occasion. This is the easiest way to serve snacks or appetizers in a fun and festive way!

Ingredients

Cheeses (Chose 3, 5, or 7, depending on party size):

• Hard cheeses: manchego, cheddar, swiss, gouda, gruyere, parmesan etc.
• Soft cheese: brie, triple cream, goat cheese, havarti, burrata, cream cheese with pepper jelly on top. Could also use blue cheese or gorgonzola, or anything you like!

Meats:

• Cured Meats like prosciutto, salami, ham, chorizo, capicola, soppressata , summer sausage is a good inexpensive option

Savory accompaniments:

• Nuts: almonds, candied pecans, pistachio nuts, cashews, walnuts, macadamia nuts.
• Briny, pickled or marinated: olives, cocktail onions, cornichons, dill pickles, pepperoncini, olive tapenade or bruschetta.
• Savory Dips and spreads: Whole ground mustard, hummus, ranch, balsamic dip.
• Cold cut veggies, if desired

Sweet accompaniments:

• Fresh fruit and berries: grapes, apples, pears, oranges, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries.
• Dried fruit: apricots, cherries, figs, pineapple, mango
• Sweet spreads: Fig butter, orange marmalade, blackberry jam or other sweet spreads.
• Chocolate: a few pieces of quality dark chocolate or chocolate covered nuts.

Crackers:

• Pita crackers, whole grain crackers, Croccantini, or your favorite kind of crackers
• Toasted baguettes or mini toasts crackers

Instructions

1. Choose your board, depending on your party size. You could always use multiple boards if needed. See my notes in the post for more board ideas and links. 
2. Start with the cheese: I start with the cheese because it anchors the board. Work in odd numbers, so, depending on the size of your party, choose 3, 5, or 7 types of cheeses to place around the board. 
3. Fold and add the meats: check out my video below for a visual on fun ways to fold cured meats before placing them on the board, like folding them in half and fanning them out like a dec of cards, or folding them in half twice, so they are easy to grab. For thin meat (like prosciutto) fold them in a light and airy ribbon. 
4. Add savory and sweet accompaniments. Fill in some of the gaps with savory and sweet. Separate colors in a way that allows the brightest colors to stand out and place foods together that pair well together. For example, mustard, briny foods and nuts near salami and sopressata, and sharp cheeses like parmesan. Pair sweet accompaniments like fresh fruit, jams, and candied nuts, near the brie cheese or goat cheese. Cheddar cheese pairs well with savory and sweet. 
5. Fill in extra space with crackers, and then any extra gaps with nuts or fruit.

Notes

• Keep it simple! This may seem obvious, but design your board based on the people who will be eating from it and fill it with simple foods that people actually LIKE! When in doubt, avoid fancy and expensive cheeses, nuts, crackers or condiments that the people you’re serving may not care for.
• Make it COLORFUL! I love to add color through fruit, like bright red apples, green and red grapes, strawberries, raspberries or blueberries.
• Where to Shop: I find most of my favorite charcuterie items at Trader Joes, Kroger, and Costco (if it’s for a large group). Kroger and Trader Joes have great, fairly priced, cheese options and they are cut into smaller chunks, which is a fun way to try a few different flavors. I like the briny foods (like green olives with feta) from Kroger as well. Trader Joes has great crackers, peppered salami and fig butter. Costco is great for salamis and cured meats in bulk, as well as large portions of favorite charcuterie cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 607mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 353IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 1mg