Dr Celso Cardona is the Principal Dentist at Maven Dental Inner West Sydney and he has over 12 years of experience in all forms of general dentistry. Dr Celso is also a qualified yoga teacher and just as yoga is a way of life and looks to positively influence your wellbeing, Dr Celso has this same approach with his patients, ensuring he is looking beyond the dentist chair and into the lives of those he is treating to develop the best individual treatment plan he can. This is how he achieves the best results for both your oral health and your overall health.
Dr Celso also has a special interest in Cosmetic Dentistry and Cosmetic Facial Enhancements. His other area of expertise is root canal treatment. He is often referred patients by other dentists when a case is too difficult, and he also travels as a consultant dentist to other practices. We catch up with him and find out more about his life.
1. What would you be doing if you had chosen a different career?
I’d be an airplane pilot or a psychotherapist – both of which I’m studying to be, actually!
2. How do you define success?
By how happy one is. For me, success is measured on how fulfilled you are each and every day, not bound by constraints.
3. What is the most surprising thing about you?
Despite the fact that I’m currently studying aviation, I actually used to be very scared of flying. I used to be so scared I had to do a 5-day course with Qantas called Fearless Flyers to manage the fear. There I met a bunch of pilots and I decided to start learning, more to control my fear than anything else.
4. If your life was a movie what would it be?
Kill Bill. No, just kidding. Let’s go with Top Gun!
5. What is your morning regime?
Wake up – yoga – work – sleep – repeat.
6. Do you have a nickname?
Not a self-appointed one, but I get every sort of variation on ‘Celso’, which is pronounced “Sell-sow”: “Kelso”, “Chelso”, “Caesar”, “Celsius” and even “Costco”!
10. If you could only eat three dishes for the rest of your life what would they be?
Mapo tofu, dahl makhani and palak paneer. I did tell you I love to cook curries!
11. Can you speak more than one language?
Yes – I speak three fluently: English, Portuguese, Spanish. I have tried learning Japanese, Mandarin and Korean, for about 1 year each. For now, I am sticking with Korean a little longer.
12. Who is the one person that always makes you laugh?
My team always makes me laugh. We have a lot of fun at work every day.
13. What is the most played song on your playlist?
Gayatri Mantra, a version by Anuradha Paudwal – yes, all 55 mins of it!
14. Where is one place you have always wanted to visit?
Mount Everest. It’s going to happen
15. What plant or flowers do you always have in your home?
I have a fruitless avocado tree, an orange tree and a bunch of other small plants.
16. Your most memorable holiday?
The hike up to Machu Picchu. It lives up to the hype.
I used to hate the beach. Didn’t like the sun and sand at all. But last December, I spent three weeks in Byron Bay and learned to surf. Now I can’t get enough of the beach.
24. Who would play you in a movie based on your life?
Adam Driver.
25. What was your first job?
Dentist.
26. What is your favourite app?
Apple Podcasts.
27. What is the most important piece of advice you have ever been given?
Embrace reality as it is, not as you would like it to be.
28. Rain, snow or sunshine?
Sunshine.
29. What is your favourite room in your house?
My large courtyard and the spa.
30. What is your go-to drink of choice?
Water and the occasional hot chocolate.
31. Who has had the biggest impact on your life?
During my formative years, my parents. In my adult life, my partner.
32. In which city do you feel most at home?
Sydney. Though I am from Brazil, I don’t feel at home there. Australia felt like home as soon as I landed here.
33. Who is your style icon?
Danny Lim!
34. If you could only be remembered for one thing what would it be?
Helping others. I have always been passionate about mentoring other dentists and spend quite a lot of time doing just that.
35. What is the one thing you want everyone to know about you?
One thing I get all the time is that I don’t look like a dentist. There is a pre-conceived notion that dentists are all old, boring and uninteresting, but this couldn’t be further from the truth! While I love what I do and I study constantly, I live a full life outside of work. Keeping this balance allows me to provide better care for my patients.
Dr Celso Cardona is the Principal Dentist at Maven Dental Inner West Sydney and he has over 12 years of experience in all forms of general dentistry. Dr Celso is also a qualified yoga teacher and just as yoga is a way of life and looks to positively influence your wellbeing, Dr Celso has this same approach with his patients, ensuring he is looking beyond the dentist chair and into the lives of those he is treating to develop the best individual treatment plan he can. This is how he achieves the best results for both your oral health and your overall health.
Dr Celso also has a special interest in Cosmetic Dentistry and Cosmetic Facial Enhancements. His other area of expertise is root canal treatment. He is often referred patients by other dentists when a case is too difficult, and he also travels as a consultant dentist to other practices. We catch up with him and find out more about his life.
1. What would you be doing if you had chosen a different career?
I’d be an airplane pilot or a psychotherapist – both of which I’m studying to be, actually!
2. How do you define success?
By how happy one is. For me, success is measured on how fulfilled you are each and every day, not bound by constraints.
3. What is the most surprising thing about you?
Despite the fact that I’m currently studying aviation, I actually used to be very scared of flying. I used to be so scared I had to do a 5-day course with Qantas called Fearless Flyers to manage the fear. There I met a bunch of pilots and I decided to start learning, more to control my fear than anything else.
4. If your life was a movie what would it be?
Kill Bill. No, just kidding. Let’s go with Top Gun!
5. What is your morning regime?
Wake up – yoga – work – sleep – repeat.
6. Do you have a nickname?
Not a self-appointed one, but I get every sort of variation on ‘Celso’, which is pronounced “Sell-sow”: “Kelso”, “Chelso”, “Caesar”, “Celsius” and even “Costco”!
7. What is your favourite meal to cook?
Curries.
8. What is your most treasured item of clothing?
Yoga pants.
9. What is the last book that you read?
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. I’m currently reading Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.
10. If you could only eat three dishes for the rest of your life what would they be?
Mapo tofu, dahl makhani and palak paneer. I did tell you I love to cook curries!
11. Can you speak more than one language?
Yes – I speak three fluently: English, Portuguese, Spanish. I have tried learning Japanese, Mandarin and Korean, for about 1 year each. For now, I am sticking with Korean a little longer.
12. Who is the one person that always makes you laugh?
My team always makes me laugh. We have a lot of fun at work every day.
13. What is the most played song on your playlist?
Gayatri Mantra, a version by Anuradha Paudwal – yes, all 55 mins of it!
14. Where is one place you have always wanted to visit?
Mount Everest. It’s going to happen
15. What plant or flowers do you always have in your home?
I have a fruitless avocado tree, an orange tree and a bunch of other small plants.
16. Your most memorable holiday?
The hike up to Machu Picchu. It lives up to the hype.
17. How do you relax?
Yoga, meditation, and hanging out with friends.
18. How many hours a week do you usually work?
60 hours.
19. What are the three beauty items always in your beauty cabinet?
Since you’re asking a dentist – toothpaste, floss and mouthwash!
20. Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or twitter?
Don’t use any…
21. What is the one thing we would always find in your fridge?
Eggs and water.
22. Your favourite board game?
Seven Wonders.
23. City, country, mountains or beach?
I used to hate the beach. Didn’t like the sun and sand at all. But last December, I spent three weeks in Byron Bay and learned to surf. Now I can’t get enough of the beach.
24. Who would play you in a movie based on your life?
Adam Driver.
25. What was your first job?
Dentist.
26. What is your favourite app?
Apple Podcasts.
27. What is the most important piece of advice you have ever been given?
Embrace reality as it is, not as you would like it to be.
28. Rain, snow or sunshine?
Sunshine.
29. What is your favourite room in your house?
My large courtyard and the spa.
30. What is your go-to drink of choice?
Water and the occasional hot chocolate.
31. Who has had the biggest impact on your life?
During my formative years, my parents. In my adult life, my partner.
32. In which city do you feel most at home?
Sydney. Though I am from Brazil, I don’t feel at home there. Australia felt like home as soon as I landed here.
33. Who is your style icon?
Danny Lim!
34. If you could only be remembered for one thing what would it be?
Helping others. I have always been passionate about mentoring other dentists and spend quite a lot of time doing just that.
35. What is the one thing you want everyone to know about you?
One thing I get all the time is that I don’t look like a dentist. There is a pre-conceived notion that dentists are all old, boring and uninteresting, but this couldn’t be further from the truth! While I love what I do and I study constantly, I live a full life outside of work. Keeping this balance allows me to provide better care for my patients.
Want more? Click here for our interview with Graphic Designer and Brand Creator, Eloise Jenkins and here for our interview with Dr. Ginni Mansberg.
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