Development of Undergraduate Research Skill: Critical Issue in Evidence-Based Dentistry

Dear EditorEvidence-based dentistry (EBD) is anapproach to oral health care which helps to decision making in clinicalpractice. EBD is an integration of systematic assessments of clinically relevantscientific evidence, relating to the patient''s oral and medical condition andhistory (1). It is a new model for dental educationwhich is designed to increase current research into student education andpractice and also help practitioners provide the best care for their patients (2). As part of the future of dental schooleducation in many schools, it is an ideal way of preparing graduates for Evidence-based dentistry and subsequent independent practice (3). To better focus on clinical issues, dentalguidelines should be assessed initially. Systematic reviews should beconsidered to serve as a basis for development of evidence-based guidelines. Inorder to provide the best present evidence, systematic reviews should berigorous. The overall quality of evidence in coordinate with other factors(balance between treatment outcomes and side effects, patients’ variables, and cost-effectiveness of treatment) should be reassessed to determine the strengthof new recommendations. This approach is supposed to lead in proper clinicalguidelines and improved dental treatments (4). To achieve this goal one of the pivotalitem is developing research skill of undergraduate students and particularlyteachers and dental schools officials have an important role in curriculumdevelopment. Education should be initiated to discuss, develop, and implement acore curriculum for research development.Although research in medical education has apractical aspect, but it is of great significance to rely on fundamentaltheories otherwise research outcomes will be superficial and uninteresting.Considering this point is necessary for researches with a problem orientedapproach (5). If research in dental education continuesto be a free service in dental schools it may promote student clinicaldecision, better judgment of basic science. Several researchers in medical education doprimordial research. These researchers have been educated in medicine as theirprimary major and perform clinical research as well. However, when they startedmedical education, they were not prepared properly to lead research projects. Theseresearchers have a tendency to transfer their experiences and understandingsfrom their research field to the domain of medical education (5).We recommend to educators, school, andeducational officials to initiate a curriculum for these dental researchcourses and improve this situation.