I actually look forward to meetings with dentists, dermatologists, and optometrists. They study systems that are fundamentally simpler to that of the whole body, so they don't have the arrogant close-mindedness that a lot of more generalist doctors (like primary care practitioners and psychiatrists) do. It's easy to know that what's best for a single body system corresponds with what's best for healthspan extension, so I rarely disagree with what they say. Maybe there's also less disagreement among practitioners in those fields too (as opposed to fields like psychiatry, which is kind of a mess in many ways) [1].
Plus, most people neglect what's best for their gums/eyes/skin anyways. So they respect people who are really into long-term care of their gums/eyes/skin.
That said, there are (of course) good primary care practitioners and good psychiatrists - it's just that there are a lot of bad ones too. They're the ones who flinch at blood tests or at taking risks with certain prescriptions. Out of all of the fights I've had, I've primarily had them with primary care practitioners and psychiatrists (though I had a fight with an acupuncturist my parents forced me to see, and I also had an uncomfortable discussion with a urologist). I'm seeing a physical therapist right now too - I think it's going well so far - but we'll see about what happens over the long-term.
Has anyone else had the same experience?
[1] Maybe disagreement is a huge thing, since when you *are* in fields with huge amounts of disagreement, the doctor might be biased towards a less effective method, and might force you on it first. This is also true with education, where there are HUGE disagreements over what's most effective, and where the teachers almost never go with what's most effective.
Maybe there are also fewer perverse incentives in dental care/eye care too, though, since it's easier to tell whether or not a treatment is working or not in those fields (whereas in many other things, people often tell you that it's "silently building up" when in many times it isn't).
==
On the other hand though, I don't totally know... I don't want to get x-rays at the frequency they want me to get, and I certainly never got into the situation where they felt like they had to give me a dental amalgam. Those are things where "enhancing" oral health could come at the detriment of long-term health of other parts of the system.
Edited by InquilineKea, 11 May 2012 - 03:00 AM.
