Western medicine evolved to treat the pregnant, unwell, the sick, even the dying. If you were reasonably healthy the medicos were not overly interested in you.

However, there is a modern push to work use medicine concepts and apply them to being as healthy as possible rather than focus on only treating sickness. Certainly with my dentistry, we always aim to aim for optimum health to guard, or best prepare against, a potential disease state. Be that gum disease, decay, oral cancers, bruxism or TMJ issues to name a few. I will take my  patients, if they are “on board”, to that level that is what I would want for myself or my family members . But it goes beyond dentistry. I have accumulated quite a bit of knowledge in the general medicine and alternative medicine. Also being a bit of a “fitness freak” and sportsman there has been a fair amount of physiotherapy type knowledge accumulated in treating or preventing physical injuries in sport. I have accumulated knowledge of naturopathic  medicines and concepts. I am considered  “a registered practitioner” with Metagenics Australia. Although I don’t “push” this knowledge on anyone, I do like sharing those understandings with anyone who asks a question of me. This is how I learn. Research subjects and discuss them. However, I am a advocate of the scientific process at all time. This means scientific studies and analysis especially double blind studies and meta-analysis are mandatory before any information is deemed valid. Simple “here say” or loosely given media information is never good enough.