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Evidence-Based Dentistry: APPRAISE

Created by Health Science Librarians

Evidence-Based Dentistry eBook

What is critical appraisal?

Once you have found systematic reviews or clinical research articles related to your question you must critically evaluate the research and how it is reported. Even a Cochrane systematic review should be read critically!

Critical appraisal is the process of reading research papers with an focus on: 

  1. examining whether the results are valid and unbiased;
  2. understanding and evaluating the report of the results;
  3. deciding whether these results can be applied to your patient(s).

Critical Appraisal Worksheets

Appraisal tools can guide you through the process of critically reading an article.

EBD Article Series from JADA

The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) published a series of short commentaries explaining evidence-based dentistry concepts and detailing how to incorporate it into practice. Click on the links below for full-text access (UNC Chapel Hill affiliates only).

A Practical Approach to Evidence-Based Dentistry : Articles I-X

  1. Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Glick M, Guyatt GH, Azarpazhooh A. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: understanding and applying the principles of EBD. Journal of the American Dental Association. 2014 Nov;145(11):1105-7. doi:10.14219/jada.2014.102.
  2. Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Booth HA, Glick M, Guyatt GH,Azarpazhooh A, Agoritsas T. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: How to search for evidence to inform clinical decisions. Journal of the American Dental Association. 2014 Dec;145(12):1262-7. doi: 10.14219/jada.2014.113.
  3. Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Glick M, Guyatt GH, Azarpazhooh A. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: III: how to appraise and use an article about therapy. Journal of the American Dental Association. 2015 Jan;146(1):42-49.e1. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2014.11.010.
  4. Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Glick M, Guyatt GH, Azarpazhooh A. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: IV: how to use an article about harm. Journal of the American Dental Association. 2015 Feb;146(2):94-101.e1. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2014.12.002.
  5. Brignardello-Petersen R, Carrasco-Labra A, Glick M, Guyatt GH, Azarpazhooh A. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: V: how to appraise and use an article about diagnosis. Journal of the American Dental Association. 2015 Mar;146(3):184-191.e1. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2015.01.011.
  6. Carrasco-Labra A, Brignardello-Petersen R, Glick M, Guyatt GH, Azarpazhooh A. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: VI: How to use a systematic review. Journal of the American Dental Association. 2015 Apr;146(4):255-65.e1. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2015.01.025.
  7. Carrasco-Labra A, Brignardello-Petersen R, Glick M, Guyatt GH, Neumann I,Azarpazhooh A. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: VII: How to use patient management recommendations from clinical practice guidelines. Journal of the American Dental Association. 2015 May;146(5):327-336.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2015.03.015.
  8. Sale JE, Amin M, Carrasco-Labra A, Brignardello-Petersen R, Glick M, GuyattGH, Azarpazhooh A. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: VIII: How to appraise an article based on a qualitative study. Journal of the American Dental Association. 2015 Aug;146(8):623-30. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2015.06.010.
  9. Abrahamyan L, Pechlivanoglou P, Krahn M, Carrasco-Labra A, Brignardello-Petersen R, Glick M, Guyatt GH, Azarpazhooh A. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: IX: how to appraise and use an article about economic analysis. J Am Dent Assoc. 2015 Sep;146(9):679-689.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2015.06.021. PubMed PMID: 26314977.
  10. Carrasco-Labra A, Brignardello-Petersen R, Azarpazhooh A, Glick M, Guyatt GH. A practical approach to evidence-based dentistry: X: How to avoid being misled by clinical studies' results in dentistry. J Am Dent Assoc. 2015 Dec;146(12):919-24. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2015.08.008. PubMed PMID: 26610837.