Therapy: anecdote, experience, or evidence?
In dentistry, most changes in therapy come from new techniques and products that are introduced to the market. Clinicians (and patients) can be overwhelmed by advertisements and marketing, some obvious and some (e.g., paid clinical reports in non-peer-reviewed journals) not so obvious. Because most advances are made with small case studies, which are at a lower level of evidence, it is imperative that data clinicians read or see have the greatest validity possible. This validity is imperative to achieve evidence-based dentistry that uses relevant, high-quality, clinically oriented research that provides better information for the clinician and better treatment for the patient.
Goldstein
Gary R
GR
Department of Prosthodontics, New York University College of Dentistry, New York 10010-4086, USA. gary.goldstein@nyu.edu
Preston
Jack D
JD
D003657:Decision Making; D003729:Dental Care; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D013812:Therapeutics