Monday, October 20, 2008

Healthy Teeth Equals Quality of Life

I was just reading one of my favorite blogs, from the author Daniel Pink, who wrote "A Whole New Mind," which is a very astute book about how design is essentially taking over every element of our lives, and the people who create those designs will "rule the world". His new premise is that "frugality will be the new ostentation." In other words, spending money wisely will now be more respected than bling.

My take on this is that healthy teeth is more than just a hygiene issue, it's a quality of life issue. If the average 30-year-old is going to live well past 100, as scientists tell us, then you are going to want to be eating. In fact, it may be one of your primary pleasures when you hit your next century.

Which means smoking isn't a good idea. Along with the thousand other things that it does to shorten your life, it increases the risk of cavities in your teeth. And don't leave missing teeth missing. Get a dental implant, or your teeth will spread out and you'll keep losing them, and eventually need dentures, or a lot more implants. It's cheaper to keep 'em, as they say.

Teeth are actually a great investment. Feeling better, looking better, eating better all add to the quality of your life. And the more you take care of them now, the less you'll spend on them in the future. The new frugality, remember?

That means finding a dentist you love and going to them. If you don't love them, you won't go as often as you should. And that is a cascading problem.

And if you follow Dan Pink's advice, find a dentist will a well-designed office. I agree with that too!

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