Evidence-Based Dentistry (EBD)

Evidence-based dentistry (EBD) has become an important factor in how dentists work and has become a well-developed concept that is integral to the everyday life of dental practitioners. It helps achieve more effective practice therefore there has been a push for progress meaning EBD is now incorporated into dental education. (1)
EBD is ‘a method for rapidly aggregating, distilling and implementing the best evidence in the clinical practice.’(2) This means combining the best updated evidence with the experience of the dentist.(3) It also involves taking the health, history and autonomy of the patient into account to produce a tailored approach to treatment decisions.(4,5) EBD is about decision-making,(6) i.e. choosing the most effective treatments and techniques for each patient individually.(7) EBD involves research, making sure that dentists are up-to-date with new developments and have the ability to use the information effectively in practice.(8)
The General Dental Council (GDC) requires students to ‘explain, evaluate and apply the principle of evidence based approach to learning, clinical and professional practice and decision-making.’(5) This is included to ‘protect patients,’ (5) and ‘assure the quality of dental education.’(1) This requirement enables the delivery of

In clinical practice, problem solving is implemented so the use of continually updated research evidence means there is a greater depth of knowledge from which an informed decision can be synthesised (3) as well as ‘earlier uptake of new and better treatment and abandoning ineffective ones sooner,’(9) leading to improvements in the quality of services provided.(4, 10) Students will be working alongside patients during clinical study and will be taught to put patients first thereby preparing them to use EBD in practice when they