Value, Cost and Dentistry

In 1978, barely one year out of SUNY/Buffalo School of Dentistry, I placed a porcelain fused to gold crown on my wife's tooth. In 2008,exactly 30 years later, I saw some tooth decay starting at the margin of the crown on my wife's check up x-rays and replaced the crown.
In 1976, as a senior in dental school, I placed a gold crown in my good friend, Walter's mouth and it is still there 33 years later. (Aside: the price of gold was set at $35 by the government)
Why am I telling you this? Two reasons:
1. Pete Dawson, the godfather of dentistry once said, "All dentistry will fail. A good dentist will make dentistry fail at the slowest possible rate."
2. There is nothing that we Americans can buy that gives more value than great dentistry. Do you think my wife or Walter really cares how much their crowns cost after 30 years of use?
Everyone, including me, thinks that dentistry is costly and on the day the dentistry is placed and the check is written, dentistry is expensive. That said, after using the dentistry year after year, we all should agree that great dentistry provides a great service and exceptional value.