Reports of uncontrolled clinical trials for directly placed restorations in vital teeth

Braz Oral Res. 2017 Jul 3:31:e48. doi: 10.1590/1807-3107BOR-2017.vol31.0048.

Abstract

Uncontrolled trials are criticized as unreliable. This study aimed to establish how the number of published reports from uncontrolled clinical trials compares to that of controlled trials for directly placed restorations in vital teeth and whether their annual number is increasing, stable or decreasing. PubMed was searched and suitable citations of uncontrolled and controlled trial reports published between 1990-2016 were included. Reference check and hand searching were conducted. The median annual report number with 25 and 75% percentile was calculated for both types of trials. 695 reports were found. The median number of reports per year was 4 (3-7) and 22 (15-26) from uncontrolled and controlled trials, respectively. A statistically significant decreasing ratio of uncontrolled to controlled trial reports was observed (p = 0.01) by linear regression analysis. The number of reports of uncontrolled clinical trials listed in PubMed over the last 27 years appears at least five times smaller than that of controlled clinical trials and its number in relation to that of controlled trials seems to decrease over time.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bibliometrics
  • Clinical Trials as Topic / statistics & numerical data*
  • Dental Restoration Failure
  • Dental Restoration, Permanent / methods
  • Dental Restoration, Permanent / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Linear Models
  • Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / statistics & numerical data
  • Research Design / statistics & numerical data*
  • Time Factors