State of the Science on Implant Dentistry: A Workshop Developed Using an Evidence-Based Approach

Purpose: This overview was prepared to describe how an evidence-based approach was used to develop an Academy of Osseointegration (AO) Workshop on the State of the Science on Implant Dentistry (SSID). Materials and Methods: An AO SSID Workshop Planning Committee was appointed in 2001 to follow an evidence-based approach for reviewing published clinical data using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria in order to answer 8 closed-end 4-part clinical questions. A systematic approach was employed to assure coherent data management and analysis. Reviewers, co-reviewers, and a biostatistician were appointed. The workshop agenda was developed to include participants who had the primary responsibility for each of the 8 workshop sections to answer 5 consensus questions for the section's systematic review. The planned outcomes of the SSID Workshop included publication of the 8 consensus reports with their respective systematic reviews in The International Journal of Oral & Maxillofacial Implants (supplemental issue), 2007; the development of clinical guidelines responding to each of the 8 focused questions; and the identification and prioritization of questions or topics requiring further research. Results: The evidence-based approach was utilized successfully in planning and carrying out the AO SSID Workshop held on August 3-6, 2006, in Oak Brook, Illinois, and the subsequent publication of its proceedings. Discussion: Although successful in its objectives, the outcome of systematic reviews is only as good as the published data. Significant deficiencies in published implant studies were identified, including, but not limited to, a lack of randomized controlled prospective clinical trials, universal acceptance and publication of defined implant survival and success criteria, and clear questions with well-defined research design. Conclusion: The evidence-based approach can be used to systematically review the literature for a workshop on important questions related to implant dentistry. A major limitation is the lack of common outcome variables between published studies.