What Is Complementary And Alternative Medicine?

By Jocelyn Walker, DA

Team Dental at River Oaks

. https://www.teamdentalatriveroaks.com/

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What Is Complementary And Alternative Medicine?

Complementary medicine is used together with mainstream medical care.Complementary medicines can be herbal remedies as well as essential oils. Alternative medicine is used instead of mainstream medicine. Complementary and alternative medicines represent a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not apart of conventional medicine.

According to the 2007 US National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), approximately 38% of adults aged 18 years or older used some form of CAM. These medicines are seen to be safer because they are made from a natural source whereas the others are not so natural. T

he health history forms at the dentist include questions regarding the taking of herbal and over-the-counter medications. The dentist needs to be informed about those medications because that may impact the delivery of safe and effective dental treatment. . Patients with temporomandibular disorders are increasingly using CAM therapies, such as biofeedback, relaxation, and acupuncture, to manage their conditions.

Many forms of alternative medicine are rejected by conventional medicine because the efficacy of the treatments has not been demonstrated through double-blind randomized controlled trials; in contrast, conventional drugs reach the market only after such trials have proved their efficacy.