“Doc, I think it’s time for dentures. Everyone in my family has them. Mom got hers when she was 18 and dad when he was 25. My brother and sister both got theirs in their 30s. Now I’m 45 and tired of throwing good money after bad!” It’s a story I hear, in one from or another, every week. That’s partly because I’m really good at dentures and a lot of people come to me for that specific reason. But it also has a lot to do with our culture and education.
NATURE VS. NURTURE
One of the significant downsides of the Theory of Evolution is its tendency to rob us as individuals of our right to self-determination. Now I’m not here to take sides on the science of evolution or to relitigate the Scopes Monkey Trial. But all theories have upsides and downsides, and one significant downside of evolutionary theory, as it is commonly understood, is the conclusion that we are all the victims of our genes. The same selection process that made us the preeminent species on this earth is also blamed for our faults and shortcomings. (Right now I’m speaking of health issues; I’ll leave the psychologic, sociologic, economic, and political implications for another day!)
Dr. Lon Peckham provides comprehensive and wholistic dental care in Priest River, Idaho. He is a consultant certified in Lead Management and Choice Theory, Advanced Dental Implantology, as a Lifestyle Health Facilitator, and is currently pursuing certification by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. He helps Patients and Dentists successfully incorporate whole-health into their lives and practices.