Grant received to develop evidence-based dentistry Web site

April 9, 2007
National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Dental, and Craniofacial Research provide funding for site.

CHICAGO--The United States National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research have awarded a grant to the ADA Foundation for the development of an Evidenced-Based Dentistry (EBD) Web site.

The anticipated launch of the Web site is later this year. It is a result of feedback from dentists and stakeholders in dentistry.

EBD, according to the American Dental Association, "is an approach to oral health care that requires the judicious integration of systematic assessments of clinically relevant scientific evidence, relating to the patient's oral and medical condition and history, with the dentist's clinical expertise and the patient's treatment needs and preferences."

"There are numerous efforts underway in the systematic review of scientific information related to dental and oral health," said Julie Frantsve-Hawley, PhD, ADA assistant director of scientific information. "This grant will help support and promote widespread access to the latest scientific findings and make available appropriate information dentists can consider for patient care."

The user-friendly ADA-EBD Web site will provide one central location to access all systematic reviews of dental and oral health topics, enabling the dentist to find needed information quickly.

It will also contain critical summaries of systematic reviews that will discuss how the scientific evidence should be consider in clinical decision making. In the future, the Web site also will have a section for patients and the general public.

For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's Web site at American Dental Association.