438. Dr Lewis Ehrlich - Unpacking ‘science’: Bias, nuance, funding, rigour and practice.

We think we’re so sure about what we know about science - did you know, though, that there are 48 catalogued forms of bias? There exists, and I was excited to learn this, a catalogue of bias that is constantly tweaked and updated. Which leads me to today’s show with Dr Lewis Ehrlich - one of our most popular guests over the years. When I saw Lewis had been accepted into a one-of-a-kind postgraduate program in Evidence-Based Medicine and Healthcare at Oxford University last year, I was already excited about this conversation I knew we’d have for the show once he completed it!

What’s brilliant about this program is that you come together with people from outside your medical field - neurosurgeons, Oncologists, Orthopaedic Surgeons, Cardiologists, Public Health PhDs, and general practitioners- to conduct, analyse, critique, and improve scientific literature. It was a tremendous honour to be accepted into and learn at this historic University.

We explore science in today’s show, both generally and as it relates to Lewis’s field of practice, dentistry. You’ll hear about:

• Bias and how we both form them and become more aware of them in our own lives as we explore topics
• Nuance - it’s all about who you are and what you need, and our system isn’t built for that
• The need to leave our black and white frameworks in medical practice, while also not throwing everything we know out the window
• The fine line between curiosity and analysis, and suspicion and mistrust
• Fluoride as an example - not always essential, not always ‘bad’ either if you consider all relevant factors in a ‘to fluoridate or not’ debate
• New frontiers in dental health
• What we know for sure helps us keep excellent oral health overall.

Enjoy the show. Alexx

Want to learn more about this week’s guest?

Instagram: @doctor.lewis ; @sydneyholisticdental

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