Evidence-based pediatric dentistry: the first twenty-five years of transformation and the next

Innes, Nicola ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9984-0012 2025. Evidence-based pediatric dentistry: the first twenty-five years of transformation and the next. Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice , 102222. 10.1016/j.jebdp.2025.102222

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Abstract

Over the past quarter-century, pediatric dentistry has shifted from an expert-opinion-driven craft-often extrapolated from adult dental care, to become a discipline anchored in rigorous, child-specific evidence. This transformation reflects the maturation of evidence-based dentistry (EBD): integrating the best available research with clinical expertise and the values and preferences of children and their families. As we celebrate the Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice at 25years of age, this article charts some milestones in pediatric EBD that show how clinical practice has led to scientific enquiry, research investigations and widespread changes in practice. The examples used are the Hall Technique, Atraumatic Restorative Treatment and pulp canal obliteration in dental trauma management. A pathway to improve research impact is proposed, stretching from ensuring research relevance and methodological rigor through to talking and listening to those who are stakeholders, planning implementation of findings, using core- and patient relevant- outcome sets, public communication and open science. Change does not have to be global to be important: locally tailored, context-aware research and its implementation can improve children’s oral healthcare, reduce inequalities and deliver value. This article is part of the special issue "Celebrating 25 Years of the Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice".

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Dentistry
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	1532-3382
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	1 December 2025
Date of Acceptance:	15 November 2025
Last Modified:	01 Dec 2025 13:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/182771

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