Evidence-Based Dentistry

Dentistry is both an art and a science. It is an art in that it draws on experience and personal observation, because science cannot account for the complexity of all variables in each situation. The synthesis of scientific understanding (evidence) and clinical observation (evidence) provides the basis for meaningful dental care. Although substantial advances have been made in our knowledge of effective disease-prevention measures and of new therapies, diagnostic tests, materials, techniques, and delivery systems, the translation of this knowledge into practice has not been fully applied so that patients receive the total benefit. As a result, variations in practice patterns and difficulty assimilating scientific evidence into practice are 2 forces driving the need to improve the quality of care. Far too often these variations occur as a result of a gap between the time, current research knowledge becomes available and when it is applied to care. Consequently, there is a delay in the adoption of useful procedures and in the discontinuation of ineffective, or even harmful, ones. This book gives the detail steps of evidence-based dentistry and how to apply in patient care.