title: Applying evidence based dentistry to your patients.
abstract: It should be evident by now that evidence based dentistry leaves much room for the application of clinical judgment to the literature. This article points out that judgment in evaluating certain factors is essential and that the practice of evidence based dentistry is not a process of blindly following the conclusions found in the literature. Clinicians can safeguard the patient and themselves against the inappropriate use of weak or irrelevant evidence in the conduct of daily practice. This skill adds confidence to decision making in clinical practice and prevents the decline in skills throughout a career.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. jim.anderson@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D003657:Decision Making; D003729:Dental Care; D018865:Dental Research; D003945:Diagnosis, Oral; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D011379:Prognosis