I have the worst teeth in the world. Braces, rubber bands, upper jaw encased in cement for two weeks with a keyhold to widen my upper palate as a teen. Several cavities. Now, five crowns. If not for modern technology and my own "I've had it, I'm going to floss and see the dentist semi-regularly" epiphany, I would be a toothless old hag (as opposed to a toothy hag) before I even hit 40..

Hey, most bridges built in the Interstate era are 50 years or more, aren't they? And where were their regular maintenance activities? Their periodic inspections? Their versions of porcelain and fillings and high-tech cleansings?

Like teeth, it's easy to ignore maintaining your infrastructure works -- until they crumble.

Friggin crowns cost $800 a piece. But they'll last the rest of my life. Why can't we invest more upfront to repair or build our nation's bridges?  They might last a little longer, too.

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