Cost, value and Dentistry

If you buy a new car and it only lasts a year, that car is terribly expensive but if we buy a car and it is still providing great service after 8 years, we consider how lucky we are and what a great buy the car was. Several months ago, I was going to check one of my patients after she had her teeth cleaned by our hygienist. When I walked into the room and greeted the patient she said to me, " I come to you because I think that you are a good dentist but you are very expensive." I looked up to the computer screen and saw that I had not fixed a single tooth for this patient in more than 13 years. The fact was that all the work that I had done for this patient was performed 15-20 years ago. So I gently asked the patient why she thought that I was expensive since I hadn't fixed a single tooth in at least 15 years? When she thought about it, she knew that for the cost that I had charged fifteen years ago, she certainly did get her money's worth....value.Dentistry that is done well is one of the best values in American life.
Posted by Dr. B at