Evaluating the quality of active‐control trials in periodontal research

Abstract

The general lack of compliance with quality criteria might place doubt on the value of these trials and may render any conclusions questionable. It is therefore important to distinguish clearly between superiority trials and equivalence trials, and to incorporate appropriate additional criteria in the design of future RCTs with active-control groups.

Reliability and validity of MINCIR scale for methodological quality in dental therapy research

“…Unfortunately, in dentistry 4,5,8 and other biomedical sciences, 6 many published research articles would be considered to have a low LoE. However, LoEs provide an incomplete picture since studies that have the same LoE nominally, may differ in essential methodological aspects (e.g.…”

“…This characteristic is an important advantage considering that clinical trials represent a minor portion of research articles in dentistry. 4,5,8 An additional advantage of the MINCIR scale is that it enables one to perform systematic reviews of clinical trials, cohort studies, case-control, and case series studies. 11 The MINCIR scale has been used to assess surgical studies, 6 including studies in the areas of oral and maxillofacial surgery, 8 and has demonstrated psychometric properties.…”

“…3 Unfortunately, evaluation instruments for dentistry research are scarce and most that are available are limited to specific specialties, geographic areas, or research designs. 4,5 Evaluation methods that cover diverse dental therapies have the potential to provide relevant information to clinicians and improve dental practice.…”

Assessment of replication of research evidence from animals to humans in studies on peri-implantitis therapy

“…Sufficient statistical power with adequate sample sizes is required to detect the difference in treatment effects between groups. 25,26 Otherwise, a false-negative result (Type-II error) may occur, when there is a genuine difference in treatment effects. It may be argued that animal studies may be conducted to test the safety of pharmacological agents for their potential use in humans.…”

Statistical issues on the analysis of change in follow‐up studies in dental research

“…This is often overlooked or under-reported in the oral health literature (35). This is often overlooked or under-reported in the oral health literature (35).…”