The launches of a unique search engine for evidence-based dentistry (EBD) and a new, international center for evidence-based periodontal health were announced recently at a conference sponsored by The Forsyth Institute.
The search engine, called EviDents, at http://medinformatics.uthscsa.edu/EviDents, is a unique electronic resource that allows patients and clinicians to sort through vast amounts of information to find the best oral health evidence available, according to Richard Niederman, DMD, Director of the Forsyth Center for EBD and the originator of the search engine. The search engine addresses all of the dental specialty areas including implants, periodontics, orthodontics, endodontics, prosthodontics and oral surgery.
The International Centre for Evidence-Based Periodontal Health (ICEP) has been established at the Eastman Dental Institute, in London with the aim of enhancing the transfer of research into clinical practice and, thus, improving patient well-being, according to Dr. Ian Needleman, the Center director, who made the announcement. The new center will: identify the most effective methods of diagnosing, preventing, and treating periodontal disease; develop a managed database resource of the best available evidence in periodontology; provide training in evidence-based oral health care and research; and provide consulting services for health care providers, researchers, and educators in periodontology. Dr. Needleman, who holds BDS, MSc PhD, MRD RCS, and ILTM degrees, is Lecturer in Periodontology and Specialist in Periodontics in the Department of Periodontology at the Eastman Dental Institute for Oral Health Care Sciences at the University of London.
Earlier at the conference, the Cochrane Collaboration reported on major systematic reviews of the evidence concerning power toothbrushes and fluoride toothpastes. The Cochrane Oral Health Group is one of 50 international review groups of the Cochrane Collaboration, an independent non-profit organization that provides and disseminates systematic reviews of health research findings.
According to Dr. Niederman, the conference theme, Evidence Into Action, brought together insurers, product makers, health care providers, policy makers, and academics concerned with the need for a systems approach to health care. "At present, without such an approach, it can take 20 years to bring evidence-based care to patients. This lag results in enormous variability in the quality and cost of care," Dr. Niederman said.
