In search of truth: the role of systematic reviews and meta-analyses for assessing the effectiveness of rehabilitation with oral implants

Abstract

Background: It is difficult to determine the effectiveness or potential harm of dental therapies. Thus, any tools able to condense reliable scientific information would be of benefit.

Purpose: To discuss methods for the assessment of the scientific literature and, in particular, of systematic reviews for evaluating the effectiveness of oral implant rehabilitation procedures.

Materials and methods: Various study designs and methods to identify scientific evidence are described, discussed, and ranked. Issues on how to critically appraise randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews are presented.

Results: Properly conducted RCTs and structured critical systematic reviews are the gold standard of clinical research for assessing whether a therapeutic intervention is effective. In the field of oral implantology, there is an urgent need to implement more RCTs and to summarize their results in systematic reviews.

Conclusions: Searching of the truth requires training and critical skill. Dentists should be trained on how to integrate their clinical experience with evidence-based research and on how to discriminate between clinically useful scientific information and less useful research.