Legitimately prescribed opioids are the start of addiction for many people too often. When I trained I was taught that everyone had a right to excellent pain management and that I was a bad dentist if I did not provide this service. This idea was based in part on flawed research that showed people prescribed opioids for short durations were at no greater risk for addiction than the general population. Turns out this is not true and that there are a significant number of people whose addiction starts with short-duration opioids prescribed for legitimate purposes.I prefer very old PCP doctors. They are very agreeable, and give you whatever medicines you need without you having to fight with them about prescribing you something as simple as an anti-biotic or cholesterol/high blood pressure medicine.
But the younger doctors don't want to give you any medicine, they are too cautious. Going to younger doctors is like: give them your money and they spend the whole visit telling you why you should'nt get any medicine.
Also, if you've ever had surgery or a broken bone, and are in verifyable severe pain, the older doctors will give you pain medicine, but the younger ones say: "Just take Tylenol".
I'm not advocating people live for long periods of time in excruciating pain but the idea that we as humans are never going to have to endure short periods of moderate pain in life is not realistic. There's also a lot of research that shows ibuprofen alternating with acetaminophen is more effective for short-term pain than opioids. Some of the old guys are just old dogs who don't want to learn new tricks but that doesn't make them right.