title: Why we can't believe what we read.
abstract: It is argued that many claims made in the dental literature lack scientific grounding. Rather than become cynical, dentists are urged to use their own critical judgment and caution when reading the literature, especially articles and advertisements in the rapidly expanding area of dental materials. An example involving research on "condensable" resin-bonded composites is analyzed in detail, showing how an apparently credible claim can be lacking in support.
authors.affiliation: Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health, USA. rsimonsen@atsu.edu
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Simonsen
mesh_terms: D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000592:standards; D003188:Composite Resins / Q000592:standards; D008192:Deception; D003764:Dental Materials / Q000592:standards*; D019232:Dental Restoration Failure; D003815:Dentists / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D017712:Peer Review, Research / Q000941:ethics; D010506:Periodicals as Topic / Q000941:ethics*; D011140:Polyurethanes / Q000592:standards; D014342:Truth Disclosure / Q000941:ethics*
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; C029012:Composite Dental Resin; D003188:Composite Resins; D003764:Dental Materials; D011140:Polyurethanes