Certainly not, because if you did, you'd end up replacing not just the roof but also repairing the room below it. This would involve contacting your insurance company and spending considerable time out of that room due to the ongoing repairs. It’s not just about the cost—it’s an irritating disruption.

Similarly, ongoing issues in dentistry can be just as bothersome.

In contrast, about 90% of the dental work I do could have been avoided if the patients had been intercepted earlier. If I had met a patient at age 22, who was just beginning to show signs of gingivitis or early periodontal disease, and I had taught them proper brushing and flossing techniques and stressed the importance of regular dental visits, they could have avoided numerous procedures.

Most patients I see are dealing with either caries, severe periodontal disease, or trauma—these are the primary reasons people seek dental care. However, if I can intervene before the onset of periodontal disease or caries, I can prevent many future issues.

Interestingly, giving preventative care is somewhat akin to making an anonymous donation to charity. There are many ways to give, and often the most impactful is the one where the recipient isn’t even aware they received a gift. When I perform scaling and root planing on a young person and teach them oral hygiene, it’s like giving them an anonymous gift that prevents a lifetime of problems. They might not thank me when they’re 55, but they're spared from significant dental issues.

Those who do express gratitude are usually the ones who have gone through extensive treatments, costing tens of thousands of dollars, to regain their smile. Fixing a problem early often goes unappreciated in the moment. Teaching someone to brush and floss effectively before problems arise rarely earns immediate thanks, but it contributes positively to the universe, and we dentists should focus more on such prevention.

I often joke in my study club that much of what we do seems unnecessary—except the big stuff, of course. Most routine dental work feels redundant because the real focus should be on education about oral hygiene, scaling, root planing, caries control, fluoride use, and bite guards. Surprisingly few dentists have a comprehensive preventive program. I don’t treat caries as a periodontist; my focus is on periodontal disease, implants, and prevention. Yet, I’ve learned from colleagues about effective decay prevention programs, like the CAMBRA protocol, which involves risk assessment and individualized preventive strategies.

So, my message this week is: let's not wait for the roof to leak. Let’s prevent the problems from occurring in the first place. Those who embrace prevention build practices filled with raving fans, who might not realize until much later just how much they benefited from early interventions.

Remember, be the gift that keeps on giving, much like the character in 'Zorba the Greek' who plants a tree not for himself but for future generations. Just as we enjoy the shade of trees we did not plant, let’s do the same for our patient's dental health.