title: The level of evidence in two leading endodontic journals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The successful practice of dentistry, including endodontics, relies on a wide spectrum of dental research. The quantity and quality of research evidence in endodontics have seldom been evaluated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of evidence in current leading endodontic journals.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the articles published in 2000, 2006 and 2010 in two major endodontic journals (Journal of Endodontics and International Endodontic Journal) were evaluated. These articles were classified according to the level of evidence (LOE) using Oxford Scale from 0 to 5 and type of the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the articles assessed, 3.2% were clinical trials, 47.8% were experimental, 5.6% were animal studies and 43.4% were of other types. Subdivisions according to LOE were 4.3% as level 1, 0.9 % level 2, 7.3% level 3, 0.4% level 4 and 3.5% level 5. Overall, 83.6% of the articles were classified as "non-evidence-based". There was a marginally significant increase in the percentage of articles with high level of evidence in recent years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a substantial shortage of articles with high level of evidence in clinical endodontics. However, there was a gradual increase in the number of high LOE articles published in both journals.
authors: Oral and Dental Diseases Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
authors: Leila
authors: L
authors: Shafiei
authors: Arash
authors: A
authors: Shahravan
keywords: Clinical Trials, Dentistry, Endodontics, Evidence Based, Journal Article