Making the Most Important Investment:Yourself and W.I.N.

What’s the best investment? This has been the most important question over the last few years. Trying to figure out how to get the best return on any investment can be frustrating. However, there is one investment that the return is immeasurable: Yourself.

How do you invest in yourself? By investing in your health. While this may include problems you are aware of, it’s the hidden or potential problems that are most important. Fortunately, the majority of these hidden problems are ones you can control.

The one area that often contains most of these potential problems is your dental health. Too often we overlook how important this is. Waiting to have a “problem” will usually lead to an expensive and possible painful result. Prevention is the key to keep you in control.

The three most common “Hidden” problems are: 1) Gum Disease 2) Leaking and Fractured fillings and 3) Fractured teeth. When these conditions are diagnosed, a response of “It’s not giving me a problem” is often heard. Would you tell your physician this if he told you your cholesterol or blood pressure was high? Of course not. The small investment in your diet, exercising and possible medications has a high return.

Taking a “pro-active” approach instead of the traditional “reactive” or damage control approach will allow you to control the future of your investment. Gum Disease, if gone unchecked, will lead to tooth loss or “long teeth”. Resulting in chewing problems and, maybe most importantly, an unattractive smile. Having your teeth cleaned twice a year can reduce these risks and give a huge return.

Fracture lines in teeth, often caused by old mercury fillings, can lead to root canals and tooth extractions. According to statistics, just less than 50% of all fillings placed are replacing old ones. Repairing these teeth with bonded composites and porcelain will not only strengthen the teeth but also give a whiter, more natural look. Improving your esthetics has a value of it’s own.

Enhancing your smile is perhaps the most valuable investment you can make. Using porcelain and/or bleaching can improve your self-esteem and turn a nice smile into an extraordinary smile that would project an image of confidence. This would be a huge boost not only personally, but also professionally. Your eyes are the window to your soul. Your smile is the window to your heart. What does your heart say?

Investing in your smile is now an investment in our community. Ogden Dental and the prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies has joined forces with the WIN (Women in Need) Foundation, a non-profit organization for abused women and children. WIN offers a 20-week abuse recovery program called Right Living. Ogden Dental will donate the full fee of bleaching; both the one-hour BRITESMILE and the 2-week take home bleaching, to WIN. All the monies collected stay in our community. Not only can you achieve a whiter smile, but your donation is fully tax deductible.

Remember, investing in yourself does not depreciate. Years from now you’ll realize this was your smartest investment.

This article was submitted by
Dr. Michael Lakota of Ogden Dental.
630-983-2600
www.Napervillesmiles.com