Engaging Clinicians in Research

JADA welcomes letters from readers on articles that have appeared in The Journal. The Journal reserves the right to edit all communications and requires that all letters be signed. Letters must be no more than 550 words and must cite no more than 5 references. No illustrations or tables will be accepted. A letter concerning a recent JADA article will have the best chance of acceptance if it is received within 2 months of the article’s publication. For instance, a letter about an article that appeared in April JADA usually will be considered for acceptance only until the end of June. Letters regarding articles published online ahead of print will be published after the article appears in print if the letter is selected for publication. You may submit your letter via e-mail in Word format to jadaletters@ada.org; by fax to 1-312-440-3538; or by mail to Letters to the JADA Editor, Publishing Division, American Dental Association, 211 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, IL 60611-2678. By sending a letter to the editor, the author acknowledges and agrees that the letter and all rights of the author in the letter sent become the property of The Journal. Letter writers are asked to disclose any personal or professional affiliations or conflicts of interest that readers may wish to take into consideration in assessing their stated opinions. The views expressed are those of the letter writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or official policy of the Association. Brevity is appreciated. Clinical decision making in the era of evidence-based dentistryThe Journal of the American Dental AssociationVol. 149Issue 9PreviewClinical decision making (CDM) is an active, purposeful, and spontaneous process that occurs within the clinician’s mind during an interaction with a patient. In the past, CDM was thought to rely exclusively on the clinical experience of the practitioner or the practitioner’s interactions with colleagues and experts in the field. With significant increases in the number of clinical investigations and advances in the way clinical studies are conducted and reported, we have made meaningful progress in creating a wealth of evidence-based knowledge leading to practice guidelines that the practitioners can access and incorporate when making a clinical decision. Full-Text PDF