title: Developing evidence-based programme guidelines for children's dental care in a dental public health unit in Ontario, Canada.
abstract: The North York Public Health Department operates a school-based dental care programme. Dental care providers are expected to follow guidelines in order that the programme shall achieve the best outcomes for the clients served. A model is described by which published evidence informs the guideline development process. The process is considered to require knowledge of the epidemiology of dental disease in the target population; skills in collecting, critically appraising and summarising the scientific literature; working with internal and external advisory panels to write the guidelines; disseminating results and assessing both compliance and health outcomes. This work is one example of a larger trend to evidence-based health care.
authors.affiliation: Community Dental Health Services Research Unit, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Leake
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Main
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Woodward
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D019140:Dental Care for Children / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D009864:Ontario; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D011636:Public Health Dentistry / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012571:School Dentistry / Q000458:organization & administration