Evidence-Based Oral Surgery Practice

摘要

What influences change in surgical practice the most? Is it science or opinion? I was recently emailed by an undergraduate student preparing for Finals Examinations who wanted to know more about the indications for coronectomy. He referred me to a website that links students with dentists that he and many other students were using for Final revision support. I was surprised to find much misinformation present and based on opinion and description of respected colleagues practice and nothing referring to science. I was interested to discover that so many students choose to use such sources for academic study. Such blogs and similar sites were not proposing to offer science so I am not critical that they did not. I am surprised however that such online resources are favoured over more traditional science sources by so many younger colleagues. I wonder whether the sense of community created by the interaction makes these sources more appealing than the traditional ones.