title: Clinical trials in orthodontics I: demographic details of clinical trials published in three orthodontic journals between 1989 and 1998.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that there is insufficient evidence available, from clinical trials, to allow evidence-based decisions to be made on the effectiveness of orthodontic treatment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To identify reports of orthodontic clinical trials and assess their demographic characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, British Journal of Orthodontics, and European Journal Orthodontics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical trials published between 1989 and 1998.
  
  
  METHODS
  A hand-search was performed to identify all clinical trials. The journal and year of publication, research method, interventions, and sample size of the trials reported were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One-hundred-and-fifty-five trial reports were identified of which 56 (36.1%) were published from 1989 to 1993 and 99 (69%) from 1994 to 1998. Ninety-nine (69%) reports were published in the AJO-DO, 18 (11.6%) in the BJO and 38 (24.5%) in the EJO. Eighty-five (54.8%) were reports of randomized controlled trials and 70 (45.2%) of controlled clinical trials. The interventions most frequently assessed were bonding materials (21.9%), growth modification treatments (21.3%), and oral hygiene procedures (9.0%). The median sample size was 32 (IQR 19.5, 50).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is sufficient evidence available from clinical trials to warrant doing systematic reviews of orthodontic clinical trials to aid decision-making.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cinical Dental Services, Liverpool University Dental Hospital and School of Dentistry, UK. Jayne.Harrison@rlbuh-tr.nhs.uk
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Harrison
mesh_terms: D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003657:Decision Making; D003710:Demography; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007598:Journalism, Dental; D009970:Orthodontics / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies