Archive for September, 2008

One thing that I find interesting is how people will spend money on their car, but not on their own body. Regular oil changes, filter changes, lube jobs, tire rotations – all the things required to keep our cars running efficiently are attended to. But do we do the regular maintenance that our bodies require? I hear people often tell me “I haven’t been to the dentist for several years because I didn’t have dental insurance”. Did they service their car during that time? Did they have insurance that paid for routine maintenance for their vehicle? Probably not, but they value that vehicle and realize that regular oil changes are worth the money spent because they will prevent much larger repair bills later!

So you can obviously see where I am going with this… Dentistry, as well as medical care, is not cheap. But it is far better (and less expensive) to have regular examinations and preventive care rather than wait till pain or a broken tooth forces your hand! Some people recognize that even if they don’t have insurance, paying for “dental maintenance” makes good sense. One goal is to prevent higher expenses by intercepting problems before they get large. Another is to avoid dental emergencies that may be painful and also conflict with patients’ busy schedules. Patchwork dentistry leads to dental emergencies! But the most important goal is to promote optimal health! A healthy mouth is the first line of defense against many diseases, and besides that, it makes us look great!

So, bottom line, if you take really good care of your car, you may still be driving it a decade from now. But let’s take care of our bodies, which we will be “driving” for the rest of our lives!