Do You Like Your Smile?
Discolored Teeth? We Do Whitening & Veneers!
Never underestimate the power of a bright and beautiful smile.
Whether your teeth need straightening, whitening or a routine cleaning,
we offer complete dental care services to keep your smile healthy and sparkling.
EASY FINANCING & STUDENT DISCOUNTS • Call today for a FREE Smile Consultation
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IMPLANTS
$2999
(INCLUDES
IMPLANT
& CROWN)
COURIER L 40 IFE, SEPT. 20-26, 2019
Wellness
Retirement saving
tips for late starters
Despite countless television ads
touting the virtues of retirement
planning, it seems many
people are not getting the message.
According to a survey from GOBBankingRates.
com, one-third of
Americans have nothing saved for retirement.
The picture is not any rosier
in Canada, where Statistics Canada
reports that just 65.2 percent of
the country’s 14 million households
contributed to a retirement plan in
2015.
Financial advisors recommend
men and women begin saving for retirement
as early as possible. The longer
people delay opening a retirement
account, the less time their money
will have to grow. Those who never
open such accounts may not be able to
meet their cost of living in the future.
While it pays to start saving for
retirement early, late bloomers who
need to catch up should know that
it’s never too late to start. Here are
some tips:
Sign up for an employer-sponsored
retirement account. Many
employers arrange for retirement
savings accounts like a 401(k) for
their employees. Such accounts are
typically tax-deferred. As a result,
men and women likely won’t even
notice the money missing from their
paychecks each month. Take advantage
of such offerings if they exist.
Such opportunities can be even more
benefi cial to late bloomers whose employers
match contributions up to a
predetermined percentage.
Start saving as much as possible.
Many people contribute six
percent of their pay to a retirement
savings account such as a 401(k).
That rule of thumb may be enough
for young workers, but late bloomers
may need to contribute a higher
percentage of their incomes if they
hope to catch up. If 10 percent is doable,
then contribute 10 percent, being
sure to diversify how that 10 percent
is invested. Workers who can
afford to contribute more might want
to explore other retirement account
options so they avoid putting all of
their eggs into one basket.
Avoid high-risk investments.
Investors trying to catch up on retirement
savings may be tempted
to invest their money in high-risk
funds with the hope of making up
ground quickly. But investors typically
want to reduce risk as they get
older. That approach should still govern
late bloomers’ investing decisions,
as high-risk funds that don’t
perform well could leave aging investors
with little to nothing come retirement.
Prospective investors who
need help choosing the right funds
for themselves should contact a fi -
nancial advisor.
Cut spending. Men and women
getting a late start on retirement saving
should examine their monthly expenses,
looking for places to cut costs
so they can reallocate those funds
for retirement savings. Some ways
to considerably reduce monthly expenses
include cutting the cord with
a cable provider, driving a preowned
vehicle instead of a new model, and
downsizing to a smaller home.
Those who have delayed saving for
retirement should not panic. While
it’s always best to begin saving for
retirement as early as possible, there
are ways for late bloomers to catch up
or create a decent-sized nest egg for
their golden years.
VENEERS $799ea.
Smiles for a lifetime thanks to Dr. Lichter
There was a time not that long ago when it
was assumed that missing, broken and yellow
teeth were just an unfortunate part of growing
old. Brooklyn dentist Joseph Lichter, DDS,
insists it no longer has to be that way.
“My motto,” says Dr. Lichter, “is smiles for
a lifetime.” By helping patients make informed
decisions about their oral health needs and
offering the latest in cosmetic dentistry,
Dr. Lichter is committed to maintain or, if
necessary, restore a beautiful smile.
“Sadly,” says Dr. Lichter, “dental problems
can have a real impact on quality of life. Many
people hold back from laughing or smiling
because they are uncomfortable about their
appearance.”
His new facility on Avenue P in Midwood
is not your grandfather’s dental office. Before
showing up for a first appointment, new patients
are encouraged to go online to fill out a “Smile
Analysis.” The analysis asks 17 questions that
help both the doctor and patient decide on a
course of treatment. The new patient is asked to
“tell us what you don’t like about your smile.”
Among the questions are: Are any of your teeth
yellow, stained or somewhat discolored? Do
you have any prior dental work that appears
unnatural? Are the edges of any teeth worn
down, chipped or uneven?
At the office patients will find four dentists,
skilled hygienists and the latest equipment
to meet all of their dental needs. But more
importantly, said Dr. Lichter, he and his staff
offer the care that their patients deserve.
“Unfortunately in today’s world some of the
care part has been lost. Skill and compassion
go hand-in-hand when providing exceptional
patient care.”
Whether they are performing traditional
dental procedures or cosmetic dentistry, Dr.
Lichter’s team takes an overall comprehensive
approach that takes into consideration the
patient’s entire body, not just the teeth.
Dr. Lichter said he is proud to bring stateof
the art dentistry to Midwood.
“I am always trying to be on the cutting edge
of my profession,” he said. He appreciates the
positive feedback he has been getting. The
new office space that has been tripled in size
allows the team to accommodate more patients
more quickly.
This is a full service traditional dental
practice that has been in Midwood for more
than 65 years. Dr. Lichter is the third dentist to
run the office. Of course Dr. Lichter performs
traditional dental procedures such as teeth
cleaning, fillings, root canal therapy and the
removal of teeth. But in addition the practice
offers the latest in restorative and cosmetic
dentistry including implants, porcelain
veneers and crowns and fixed bridges. These
and similar procedures can make a broken
smile look like new.
The office offers Invis-align, an alternative
to metal braces that uses virtually invisible
plastic aligners that gently shift teeth into
place over a period of time. This alternative,
the doctor said, has become increasingly
popular with teens and adults. This procedure
can have a longterm impact on quality of life.
The good news, Dr. Lichter said, is that
people are learning to take better care of
their teeth. And as people in today’s world
expect to live longer they are more open to
what cosmetic dentistry has to offer.
He acknowledges that modern dentistry can
be expensive, especially for treatments that
are not covered by insurance. “Dentists,” he
explains, “can have extremely high overhead,
especially for work done outside the office.”
However Dr. Lichter said he attempts to keep
dentistry affordable so everyone can benefit.
His experience so far has been that patients
find the results well worth the investment.
Dr. Joseph Lichter 1420 Avenue P between
E. 14th and E. 15th streets in Midwood, (718)
339-7878, Open Monday through Friday and
every other Sunday.
BEST DENTIST
Dr. Joseph Lichter,
DDS
SUMMER SPECIAL
The right veneers
are a quick way
to a beautiful
smile, and
this treatment
is perfect for
people with teeth that are
stained, chipped or have gaps.
EXPIRES 8/31/19 EXPIRES 8/31/19