Cochrane systematic reviews in orthodontics

Introduction. - The Cochrane Collaboration is an international scientific not-for-profit organization the purpose of which is to produce and distribute systematic reviews of randomized clinical trials. The aim of this paper is to list the different existing Cochrane systematic reviews in the field of dentofacial orthopedics (DFO) and to analyse their main features. Material and methods. - The choice of Cochrane systematic reviews based on dentofacial orthopedics was made from the exhaustive list published by the Cochrane Oral Health Group. Results. - A total of 12 systematic Cochrane reviews related to dentofacial orthopedics were listed. All concluded on the need to conduct randomized clinical trials using more appropriate methodologies and comprising larger samples. None of these systematic reviews offered clear proof supporting any one form of treatment or treatment modality. Discussion. - Despite the lack of relevant conclusions in the still meagre number of Cochrane systematic reviews related to DFO, it is essential for orthodontists to regularly consult the reviews in the framework of their daily evidence-based orthodontic practice. This is true too for orthodontic researchers as clinical DFO research needs to be extended with the setting up of methodologically unquestionable randomized clinical trials. However, there exist alternatives to randomized clinical trials offering a lower level of proof but which are better suited to the field of dentofacial orthopedics. (C) 2010 CEO. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved