Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future
Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’
Into the future .
-Steve Miller Band
This week my parents will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.  That is an    amazing accomplishment! Congratulations to them. They have been through a      lot together.  The fact they are together is nothing short of miraculous.
My dad was born and raised in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas; the language spoken    then was mostly Spanish.  It was a rough life, but at 18,  he enlisted in the US Army to make a fresh start for himself.
Mom was born in  Germany during the Second World War.  Life was extremely difficult for her.  She spoke German.  For my parents, there was no common culture or language when they first met.  Dad was stationed in Germany as part of his military experience.  Despite their differences,  they met, courted, married, and had children.  The years my dad spent in the military have had a profound effect on many people.  For us, his 3 children and  their respective spouses, and 11 grandchildren and now 1 great grandchild, it is a match made in heaven.
How long do things last?  That is a good question.  Marriages can last a long time or end quickly.  It depends on a lot of factors.  Kitchen appliance last about 7-10 years.  ( I speak from experience having replaced a full set of  them in the last year.)
How about dental work, how long does it last?  That also depends on a lot of factors.  The mouth is a very hostile place. Temperatures can change from hot to cold and back in a single meal.  These changes cause everything to expand and contract.  Acidity changes each time  you take a sip of pop.  Too much acid and you can see relatively quick and severe breakdown of teeth.  Then there is the amazing forces of chewing.  How anything lasts at all is difficult to imagine.  Now throw in the variable of how well the person who owns the mouth takes care of their teeth and it becomes nearly impossible to know exactly how long things will last.  All these things impact the the natural teeth as well as the materials we use to fix or replace those teeth.
Research helps us know the best materials to use in the hostile mouth.  Nothing is perfect, but many things work very well.  Attending continuing education classes help us learn about  the materials to use and the techniques necessary  to assure long term success of our  dental work.  And finally, educating you on the importance of good home care to maintain a good environment goes a long way to ensuring success too!
When you ask us how long you can expect our work to last, we hope you don’t feel we are skirting the question by not giving you a specific time.  Given all the information above, you can now see it is nearly impossible to predict.  Rest assured that in the practice of Albert Mendez DDS PA, Pittsburg Kansas Dentist,  we will do all we can to help you have a smile you are proud of , for long as  you are committed to do your part to keep it!  Call us today with any dental questions you may have.  (620) 231-6070.  You can also learn more about us here on our website and on Facebook at PittsburgDDS.
We are here to serve you. We would be honored to have you as part of  our fine family of patients.