If the quality of the dental work is good and it needs to be done, that actually sounds like a far better bang for the buck.
Of course I'd be concerned about how the poor guy got into the situation he's in, and question whether a more frugal approach might make him happier in the long run. However at this point in his life, the opportunity to Mustachianize himself into a significantly better position is long past, and although he'll reap the rewards of frugality in the long run, he might not have much of a long run left.
