“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” ~ Reinhold Niebuhr, American theologian Life is a mix of things we can’t control and things we can. If we’re not paralyzed by the former, we can often maximize the latter.

Another misconception, which seems to contradict the first, is that we’re bound to lose a tooth – or several – if we live long enough, just as we’re bound to get cataracts. But tooth loss and denture use “are not inevitable,” says Dr. Dan Marut, a dentist and founder of Quality Dental Plan, headquartered in Reno, Nev.