Dear ,

We hope that you and your family weathered last week's storm well and were spared from flooding and damage. We are so grateful that our team members, families, and practices were safe, as well. 

Unfortunately, the storm preparation and aftermath left us delayed on getting the monthly newsletter out to you. Our apologies, but be sure to read on, because we have a very special newsletter this month!

As many of you may know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. One in eight U.S. women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.* So many of our extended Collins Dental family members have been affected by breast cancer. Whether it be a personal diagnosis, or the diagnosis of a friend or family member, the widespread consequence of this disease has left its mark on far too many lives.

This month, during your visit, you may notice signs, facts, and encouraging messages throughout our office. In addition, you will see a beautiful handmade quilt in our lobby. When women and men battling breast cancer are undergoing chemotherapy, blankets are suggested, as they often get cold in the treatment rooms. These quilts with encouraging phrases or the iconic pink ribbons are, therefore, often called "chemo blankets." 

Throughout the month of October, when you visit our office for your appointment, your donation of $1 or more will earn you a raffle ticket for the opportunity to win our blanket. At the end of the month, Dr. Collins will match the donation total, and the money will be sent to the Breast Cancer Program and Florida Hospital Cancer Center. 

This month, and every month, we encourage you to be proactive and diligent by performing a breast self exam. Breast self exams are not just for women. About 2,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2016. A man’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is about 1 in 1,000.

If you are a woman over 45, the American Cancer Society suggests screening mammograms every year. Contact your physician, or check this list of local organizations that offer options for free or low-cost mammograms. The Women's Center for Radiology of Orlando schedules mobile mammography units throughout the region almost every day of the year, as well. 

*www.breastcancer.org

AROUND TOWN:

You may have seen our team at your school recently! We have been having a blast visiting high schools and cheering on athletes! Keep an eye out, as our social calendar for the Fall isn't quite complete :) Check our Facebook and Twitter for updates on our whereabouts!

PATIENT SPOTLIGHT:

We are so proud to spotlight Tammy DeLaRosa this month. Not only is Tammy a Collins Dental patient, and responsible for capturing our beautiful team portraits, but she is an inspiring survivor of stage 3 breast cancer. We are so grateful that she took the time to share some of her story with us this month. An article written by Tammy, herself, can also be found on the Susan G. Komen website. Tammy is a talented photographer, and can be reached through her Facebook page, and by email at tdlrphotography@gmail.com. She also has a YouTube channel.

TEAM MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: 

You may have met Nichole on a visit to Collins Dental. She is a Certified Dental Assistant and this month she took some time to tell us a little about herself. Nichole was born and raised in Taunton, Massachusetts. She enthusiastically roots for her favorite teams, the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots! She received her CDA in 2003 from The Community College of Rhode Island and relocated to Florida in 2006. Nichole was drawn to dentistry because she loves to see people smile. At home she enjoys spending time with her boys riding bikes and attending soccer games. A fun fact about Nichole is that she has been a dancer since the age of 4. She enjoys jazz, tap, and ballet. Read about the rest of our amazing team on our website.

FOURTH QUARTER RAFFLE: 

Very soon, we will announce the winner of our third quarter referral raffle. That winner will enjoy a Date Night at Disney including two Golden Circle tickets to Cirque Du Soleil at La Nouba Theater, and $100 for a dinner in Downtown Disney.

For the Fourth Quarter of 2016, we hope to inspire you all to get out and enjoy Florida's best months for outdoor activities! In early January, a lucky raffle winner will take home a tandem kayak and stocked backpack!

For every time you refer an adult (age 18 and up) patient between October 1st and December 31, 2016, your name will be entered in our drawing! Send in your friends and family for a chance to win!

USE IT OR LOSE IT:

It’s like throwing money away! If you had extra cash, you wouldn't throw it away, right? Surprisingly, many of our patients "lose" hundreds (even thousands) of dollars each year because they fail to use or maximize their insurance benefits or flex spending allowance before December 31st.

Once these benefits are gone, they are gone forever and DON'T ROLL OVER to next year.
So, if you are due for an exam, cleaning, or are in need of completing treatment, PLEASE
give us a call to schedule...before it’s too late!

COMING SOON:

November: Help us collect items for families in need for Christmas in the City, hosted by Hope Helps, Inc. of Oviedo. More details to come!  

Collins Dental: 5744 Canton Cove  - Winter Springs, FL 32708
ph: 407-699-9831 - email: info@collinsdentalcare.com