title: Methodological quality assessment of paper-based systematic reviews published in oral health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to conduct a methodological assessment of paper-based systematic reviews (SR) published in oral health using a validated checklist. A secondary objective was to explore temporal trends on methodological quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two electronic databases (OVID Medline and OVID EMBASE) were searched for paper-based SR of interventions published in oral health from inception to October 2014. Manual searches of the reference lists of paper-based SR were also conducted. Methodological quality of included paper-based SR was assessed using an 11-item questionnaire, Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) checklist. Methodological quality was summarized using the median and inter-quartile range (IQR) of the AMSTAR score over different categories and time periods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 643 paper-based SR were included. The overall median AMSTAR score was 4 (IQR 2-6). The highest median score (5) was found in the pain dentistry and periodontology fields, while the lowest median score (3) was found in implant dentistry, restorative dentistry, oral medicine, and prosthodontics. The number of paper-based SR per year and the median AMSTAR score increased over time (median score in 1990s was 2 (IQR 2-3), 2000s was 4 (IQR 2-5), and 2010 onwards was 5 (IQR 3-6)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the methodological quality of paper-based SR published in oral health has improved in the last few years, there is still scope for improving quality in most evaluated dental specialties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Large-scale assessment of methodological quality of dental SR highlights areas of methodological strengths and weaknesses that can be targeted in future publications to encourage better quality review methodology.
authors.affiliation: Epworth Healthcare, Richmond, VIC, Australia.|School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, The Alfred Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.|Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne Dental School, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wasiak
authors.affiliation: Eastern Health, C/O - Box Hill Hospital, Box Hill, Melbourne, Australia. amanda.yang.shen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: A Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Alfred Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mahar
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.affiliation: Southern Health, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Khoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Faggion
mesh_terms: D057189:Checklist; D003813:Dentistry; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health; D017712:Peer Review, Research; D011643:Publishing; D012107:Research Design; D012196:Review Literature as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Dental research; Dentistry; Meta-analysis; Research design; Review; Trends