Simple Approaches for Establishing an Evidence-Based Dental Practice.

Constructing an evidence-based dental practice requires leadership, commitment, technology support, and time, as well as skill practice in searching, appraising, and organizing evidence. In mastering the skills of evidence-based dentistry, clinicians can implement high-quality science into practice through a variety of opportunities including the development of clinical care guidelines, procedural technique protocols, and electronic dental record auto-note templates, as well as treatment planning, care prioritization, and case presentation. The benefits of building an evidence-based dental practice are many, including improvements in patient care and satisfaction, increased treatment predictability and confidence in care approaches, as well as potential cost savings.

Engaging Stakeholders in Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Regarding School-Based Sealant Programs.

The purpose of this study was to use qualitative methods to describe the key lessons learned during the stakeholder engagement stage of planning a randomized clinical trial comparing outcomes of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) as an alternative to pit-and-fissure sealants in a school-based delivery system. Eighteen caregivers and community-based stakeholders with involvement in the school-based sealant program Sealants for Smiles from the state of Montana, were recruited for this qualitative study. United States (U.

Sealants for Preventing and Arresting Pit-and-fissure Occlusal Caries in Primary and Permanent Molars.

Background: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012 data indicated that, in the United States, nearly onefourth of children and over one-half of adolescents experienced dental caries in their permanent teeth. The purpose of this review was to summarize the available clinical evidence regarding the effect of dental sealants for the prevention and management of pit-and-fissure occlusal carious lesions in primary and permanent molars, compared with a control without sealants, with fluoride varnishes, or with other head-to head comparisons.

Type Of Studies Reviewed: The authors included parallel and split-mouth randomized controlled trials that included at least 2 years of follow-up, which they identified using MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, LILACS, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and registers of ongoing trials.

Evidence-based clinical practice guideline for the use of pit-and-fissure sealants: A report of the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Background: This article presents evidence-based clinical recommendations for the use of pit-and-fissure sealants on the occlusal surfaces of primary and permanent molars in children and adolescents. A guideline panel convened by the American Dental Association (ADA) Council on Scientific Affairs and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry conducted a systematic review and formulated recommendations to address clinical questions in relation to the efficacy, retention, and potential side effects of sealants to prevent dental caries; their efficacy compared with fluoride varnishes; and a head-to-head comparison of the different types of sealant material used to prevent caries on pits and fissures of occlusal surfaces.

Types Of Studies Reviewed: This is an update of the ADA 2008 recommendations on the use of pit-and-fissure sealants on the occlusal surfaces of primary and permanent molars.

Sealants for preventing and arresting pit-and-fissure occlusal caries in primary and permanent molars: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials-a report of the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Background: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012 data indicated that, in the United States, nearly one-fourth of children and over one-half of adolescents experienced dental caries in their permanent teeth. The purpose of this review was to summarize the available clinical evidence regarding the effect of dental sealants for the prevention and management of pit-and-fissure occlusal carious lesions in primary and permanent molars, compared with a control without sealants, with fluoride varnishes, or with other head-to head comparisons.

Type Of Studies Reviewed: The authors included parallel and split-mouth randomized controlled trials that included at least 2 years of follow-up, which they identified using MEDLINE (via PubMed), Embase, LILACS, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and registers of ongoing trials.

Measuring the impact of practice-based research networks on member dentists in the Collaboration on Networked Dental and Oral Health Research, CONDOR.

Objectives: The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research funded three practice-based research networks (PBRNs), NW-PRECEDENT, PEARL and DPBRN to conduct studies relevant to practicing general dentists. These PBRNs collaborated to develop a questionnaire to assess the impact of network participation on changes in practice patterns. This report presents results from the initial administration of the questionnaire.

The impact of drug samples on clinical recommendations in dental education.

The distribution of branded drug samples in an educational setting may obscure the line between an evidence-based and a marketing-based education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of branded drug samples on clinical recommendations in a dental education setting. Survey respondents exposed (n=95) and unexposed (n=80) to a specific branded drug sample program containing non-patented ingredients responded to a brief questionnare on recommendations for dentinal hypersensitivity.

Inter-examiner reliability of salivary diagnostic tests in a practice-based research network.

Purpose: Patient salivary characteristics are being measured as part of the Northwest PRECEDENT (Practice-based REsearch Collaborative in Evidence-based DENTistry) study on caries risk assessment. Prior to the implementation of these salivary diagnostic tests in a practice-based cohort study, inter-examiner reliability was assessed for resting salivary pH, stimulated salivary flow rate, pH and buffering capacity.

Methods: An initial evaluation of inter-examiner reliability of the 4 salivary tests was conducted among 6 dental auxiliary examiners using a convenience sample of 40 dental students.

The conduct of practice-based research in community clinics compared to private practices: similarities, differences, and challenges.

Practice-based research should be performed in all practice settings if the results are to be applied to all settings. However, some practice settings, such as community clinics, have unique features that may make the conduct of such research more challenging. The purpose of this article is to describe and compare the similarities and unique challenges related to conducting research in community clinics compared to private practices within the Northwest Practice-Based REsearch Collaborative in Evidence-Based DENTistry (PRECEDENT) network.

Evidence-based dentistry professional development and training for the dental office team.

An evidence-based dental practice and support team can easily be developed with the right materials and motivation. With the advancement of many electronic and published resources on evidence-based dentistry (EBD) this process has been made simple with limited time commitment from both dentists and their auxiliaries. The potential benefits of implementing EBD in private practice include the improvement in the overall quality of patient care and a positive and productive work atmosphere for the entire dental team.

Striving for excellence with evidence-based dentistry.

With an explosion of published dental research, experienced dental practitioners may desire to update their clinical knowledge. Evidence-based dentistry provides a unique opportunity for dental practitioners to strive for excellence of scientific knowledge through evidence-finding processes that are not only simple, but have a significant potential to improve patient health care outcomes.

Answering clinical questions using the principles of evidence-based dentistry.

In an effort to improve health care outcomes, there has been a focused movement by national organizations such as the American Dental Association (ADA) to embed the principles of evidence-based dentistry (EBD) into mainstream care delivered by private practicing dentists. Although many dentists may garner benefits from EBD, some may encounter barriers including the time it takes to review evidence or identifying reliable resources. However, recent advances in electronic clinical decision support (CDS) have enabled busy and even novice EBD practitioners to implement the foundational elements of EBD and evidence-based decision making (EBDM) into clinical care.

The benefits of evidence-based dentistry for the private dental office.

Dentistry over the last 100 years has been characterized by improved approaches to education and practice. Parallel to trends in the field of medicine as a whole, dentistry is moving toward evidence-based practices. The goal of evidence-based dentistry is the assurance, through reference to high-quality evidence, that care provided is optimal for the patient and that treatment options are presented in a manner that allows for fully informed consent.