Growing up, there was a grandfatherly fellow in our town that adopted all of us as kids as his own. He would watch us, comment on how we’ve grown, ask us about our family, and often, share a bit of his wisdom.
He had a saying and a story for everything. I mean everything.
If your hand itched he would say that meant money was coming your way. If you found a penny face up on the sidewalk, it was good luck. If he saw a certain bird in the area, he told us that meant spring was on its way.
I always remember those sayings as I come across similar things in my life now and the events that promoted him to say it in the first place.
One time, there was a huge pothole in the street in the middle to town. The road crew would come out and throw some dirt in it and a little asphalt and they would be gone. After a few months, the hole was back and it was usually much bigger.
They would come back out with their trucks and shovels, throw some more dirt in the hole and lay a little more asphalt. And once again, they were gone.
My wise mentor would watch each time the crew was out. He would walk over to them as they worked and strike up a conversation about that pothole and offer his advice on the situation.
The road crew was there so often, they got to know my friend well. And they would cringe as he walked up because they knew he was about to share his opinion with them if they wanted it or not.
He would ask them why they were there, even though it was obvious, and they would answer. He would remind them it had only been a few months since they were there doing the same exact thing. The supervisor would shrug and agree as the old gentlemen continued on.
“Now, don’t you think if you fixed it right, you could save yourself a lot of time and grief”, he said.
“Yeah, but the city wants us to save money so we can only do a patch”, the supervisor replied.
“Well seems to me, you have been here 4 times this year alone. And you know you will have to be back here in a couple months again. How can having 3 men waste their time doing the same thing over and over, be saving the city, and the taxpayers for that matter, any money? Seems to be, It’s Always Easier and Cheaper in the Long Run to Just Do It Right In the First Place.”
I think about his words often. As a dentist, when I see a patient suffering with a dental problem unnecessarily, it reminds me of the pothole.
Patients rely on me to give them my best treatment. They rely on me to fix it right the first time. And they want me to save them time, energy, as well as money in the long run. That is my role as their dentist.
For patients who are missing teeth, that is why I recommend dental implants. Not only do they replace the teeth, but they also stabilize the bite, provide a strong anchor of support for chewing, as well as give the patient back confidence and comfort that they won’t get with any other option. Dental implants restore so much to a person’s quality of life; it is difficult to even put a figure on it.
Dental implants are the best option for tooth replacement. It is a wonderful service that we enjoy providing for our VIPs (Very Important Patients!). And just like my ‘adopted grandfather’, we always have room at our dental home for one more special person if you would like to join us here : http://minidentalimplantslouisvillekentucky.com
Dr. Larry Stroud is one of the leading Implant Dentists in Louisville, Kentucky. He focuses on Implant Dentistry, Mini Dental Implants, Restorative Dentistry, Dental Implants and Sedation Dentistry. Get the free special report and CD “Miracle of Dental Implants” Find out more on having the celebrity smile of your dreams – Go here: http://minidentalimplantslouisvillekentucky.com