Discount dentistry

I've always been a firm believer in the idea that you shouldn't necessarily pay for a product or service just because it's the cheapest on the market. Case in point:

A man was held Wednesday on charges that he performed dental work on customers without a license in his "filthy" garage, authorities said. Roger Bean, 60, was arrested Tuesday and held on $6,000 bond.

Bean performed denture fittings and made false teeth in his garage, charging just $200 for a full set of dentures, a procedure that typically costs more than $2,000, authorities said. But he was not licensed to practice in Florida.

Okay, so it doesn't exactly sound like he was performing root canals in his garage, but still...

Palm Beach County Sheriff's detective Don Zumpano said there were "health risks with operating this type of facility outside of your house," adding that Bean's workspace was "filthy."

But let's not let those kind of facts get in the way, folks...

Neighbors and clients, however, praised Bean for saving them thousands of dollars.

Ron St. Mary, 73, head of the neighborhood crime watch, said Bean is no criminal.

"He's helping the old people who don't have a few dollars," he said. "I think the world of him."

Could I interest you in my discount heart surgery clinic, Mr. St. Mary? Sure, I do the surgery in my bathtub (which hasn't been cleaned in in a few months) and I'm not licensed to perform medicine by this (or any other) state, but I'm sure you'll find my fees very competitive.

If you want to nominate me for some sort of medal, I'll understand.