OCDetails Detailing Blog

I've used the comparison of detailing your car and brushing your teeth many many times. In fact, i remember going to the dentist one time after really getting into this hobby and realizing that we aren't so very different. The tools he uses are smaller, but we operate them in a very similar way. I've got little hooks that I use to get into tight places in emblems and under the hood. I've got a polisher that I use to shine things up. I even have brushes and polishes that I use similar to the dentist. We both use "sealants" and "fillers" and "polishes". There are also a lot of similarities about how to know when you should avoid a dentist or a detailer. That's what I'd like to talk about here.

Imagine you need your annual cleaning on your teeth. You start to head on over to your regular dentist, but half way there you are distracted by a troop of girls jumping up and down wearing very little by way of dress. They are waving signs that say "Teeth Cleaning Only $5!" Well, that is certainly a lot better than what your guy wants to charge you, so you decide to give them a chance. You pull in and they proceed to work on your teeth. They eye candy sure is good as they go to work, but you start to notice that their tools are definitely not up to par with what you are used to. They are using what looks to be dish towels instead of the standard bibs your dentist uses. Their drills have little emblems on them that say "Fisher Price". Even the products they are using are basic products that they got from the local WalMart. You can see the bag sitting there on the table with tubes of discount Crest and generic tooth floss. You start to feel pretty uncomfortable about the whole situation when you hear one of the girls squeak out a little "oops!" as she is flossing your teeth. It would appear that she got a little to excited while flossing and has actually sawed into your gum quite a bit. She backs the floss out and looks around to see if anybody noticed. Well, the pain exploding in your mouth makes it hard for you not to notice, but she just picks up her gear and heads over to a new customer who just arrived.

The rest of the experience goes the same way. It feels like they are spending a little too much time brushing one particular tooth. It could be due to the fact the girl is on a cell phone chatting the whole time and really hasn't paid much attention. The tooth starts to get really sore and you notice that the brush she is using is not only incredibly old looking, but also has some of the stiffest bristles you've ever seen! She has brushed right through your enamel and the nerves are screaming! You've had just about enough of this. You push them away from you and run to the nearest mirror you can find. The damage is not pretty. You have three teeth that have been over brushed and are clearly damaged, two of your porcelain crowns are chipped, your gum is severely cut from the flossing, and you have tooth paste still between most of your teeth. Your lips are chapped from their abrasive materials and overall you are absolutely regretting the choice. You pay them the $5 and continue on your way to your dentist.

Your dentist takes one look at your mouth and shakes his head. You are going to owe him $1000 for two new crowns that will need to be replaced, close to $3000 for veneers on the teeth that have lost their enamel, $120 for the cleaning including removing the paste build up from in between your teeth, and $200 for stitches in your gum. Saving the money your dentist normally charges for your annual cleaning has certainly not been worth it. Still, at least you got to see a few hot teenagers leaning over you while they completely jacked up your smile, but was it worth it?

I'll just let you do your own translation of this little story. Sure detailers charge a lot, but there is a reason for that. Our materials are far above and beyond the quality of most teenagers who decide they will go door to door washing cars. Our products are definitely a higher quality and more effective at getting the results people are looking for than most of the 'off the shelf' products out there. Detailers typically either have the training or the experience to avoid most of the mistakes that you are going to see made at dealership details shops and automated car washes. And in the case of a licensed and registered detailer, at least if they screw something up then you have some recourse. There is little you can do to the broke college kid who burns up your paint with his $30 buffer he just got at Walmart. I'm not saying that you probably couldn't sue the school district for the cheerleader car wash that decided to put some deep cuts into your paint because they left their wash mitt lying on the hot asphalt between washes, but who is going to do that? If it is your school district, then you are really only suing yourself. ;)

The list of reasons to hire a reputable and skilled detailer just goes on and on. Don't ignore the similarities to your teeth and your car. Just like you can't ignore your teeth, you also can't ignore your paint. The regular cleanings, polishings, and treatments are necessary to keep your smile strong. I know I smile more when my car is looking good. :)