One of Dr. Abelar’s favorite stories is about a $5.00 haircut. The story tells of a well- established barber shop that had been providing quality, personal care to the community for years. As the town grew, new business came to town, and a big-chain barber shop opened up across the street offering quicker, cheaper haircuts for $5.00. The local barber loses some of his business to those seeking to save a few dollars, and he begins to worry. He knows his quality of work and the trusted tools he uses cannot be offered for that price and he isn’t interested in compromising. After a few weeks, his once loyal customers suddenly return. They tell him that the new barbers didn’t know exactly how they liked it shaped and cut and it never turned out like they wanted. As their hair grew out, they realized how uneven it was. A few days later the local barber places a sign outside his shop that says “We Fix $5 Haircuts” and his days of worry are gone.
The moral of the story is, cheaper is not better. The appeal of a quick fix that costs less seems tempting in the moment, but thoughts of the future and the impact questionable quality can have in the long run bring light to the truth of the situation. In this case, the patrons ended up having to pay for two haircuts instead of 1 because they chose cost over quality. They also had to spend several weeks unhappy with their appearance while they waited for their hair to grow out long enough to have fixed.
As consumers, we struggle to balance the desire to get the best possible service and quality with how we manage our money. It can be confusing and stressful. In all areas of life, there will always be people offering their services for cheap. I think we’ve all heard the saying you get what you pay for and in most cases, this really is the reality.
In the field of dentistry, there are huge differences in quality, not only of materials but of technology, equipment, experience and training of the professional. At the end of the day, all of these play a huge role in the outcome of any procedures. Will they need to be redone because it doesn’t last? Does it look natural? If you are unhappy with your results from procedures you’ve had done in the past or if you are looking for guidance on procedures you need right now, call us today at 858-866-9692 so we can help you have the peace of mind and quality of care you deserve.
