An overview of evidence-based dentistry and randomized controlled trials: Importance in the current orthodontic research

Abstract

Evidence-based dentistry (EBD) was developed to help dental care professionals in incorporating the current, valid, and bias-free research into their clinical practice. It is equally important to review and critically appraise the evidence before its adoption into clinical decision-making. In orthodontics, as there are emerging innumerable appliances, materials, and treatment approaches, there is an urgent need to conduct new trials to determine their effectiveness. Recently, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are considered as the most powerful and strongest research design for the comparison of various treatment interventions. This article gives a brief overview about EBD and RCTs and their importance in the field of orthodontics.