Medicine, Quackery, and Capitalism

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Later this month I will be having periodontal surgery on one quarter of my mouth. They have been suggesting it the past ten years or so, and just recently I had come into a bit of money so I can pay the $1000 (and they will get another $1000 from my insurance) Basically the procedure is that they will cut my gums open to get to the roots of my teeth to thoroughly scrape off any tartar and plaque, or any other stuff that shouldn't be there, and also to add bone grafts to replace any bone loss that had happened during the progression of the condition. Looking up information on the internet gives lots of links, including a few that claim that the procedure doesn't work. Usually they are sites that sells some kind of alternative product, like a "waterpik" (I believe it is a jet of watter that shoots down into those pockets to help keep the lower portion of the teeth clean). Even if the site has "testimonials" from "professional doctors" or nurses or the like, being on a site that is dedicated to sell a product addressing the "need" lessens the validity of the argument. Of course they are going to include such claims, but that doesn't mean it is true. But then I have read reports about the Food and Drug Administration here in the United States, and the companies testing, producing, and marketing these drugs, even advertising. ("Ask your doctor about Phukitol," a Robin Williams skit about an anti-depressant drug goes ...) Even schools are allegedly getting money getting kids on Ritalin or other Attention Deficit Disorder drug. Every one is grabbing money here and there -- but what is the truth? Is there a resource somewhere for that purpose, to be truthful and non-biased in their reports? Can it exist in a society such as ours that will only do things for money? Or are we forever at the mercy of the company that has the best storyteller?