Evidence-based dentistry and clinical implementation by third-year dental students.

Over the last two decades, the concept of evidence-based medicine (EBM) has become the standard of medical care. Defined by Sackett et al. as "the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients," EBM recognizes that the practitioner should combine individual clinical expertise with the best available external evidence for optimal care. Consideration of the patient's needs and preferences is also an integral component of the clinical application. Dental educators have to account for the fact that not all dental treatment outcomes have been researched with randomized clinical trials. Dogmas in dentistry still exist regarding restorative treatments and methods taught to next generations of practitioners, while limited evidence is available. The purpose of this study was to determine how third-year dental students at one U.S. dental school select articles to provide supportive evidence related to treatment planning. The results show that knowledge provided in a three-week course in evidence-based dentistry (EBD) for first-year dental students was not efficiently applied when the students reached their third year. A significant percentage of the students perceived the use of literature as not beneficial for sustaining clinical aspects of a treatment plan, and they did not use appropriate tools to access best available resources. As a result of these findings, the article proposes incorporation of specific learning objectives related to EBD principles throughout the curriculum and a simplified method to search for best available evidence that has the advantage of not requiring knowledge and training in rigorous formulation of clinical questions.