Are the Results of Dental Research Accessible to Canadian Dentists?

The aim of this joint CDA–IMHA study was to investigate what Canadian dentists think about the utility of dental research. A questionnaire was sent to all dentists in Canada with the December 2001 JCDA. By April 1, 2002, 2,788 questionnaires, representing a response rate of approximately 16%, had been returned. In this second article in a 3-part series, we address the theme of research accessibility. The study results show that while 75% of respondents think that research results are easily accessible, 90% would like them to be more accessible. For clinical dentists, the most important source of information about research is generalist dental journals ( JCDA in particular), while teachers/researchers prefer specialist journals. In addition, clinical dentists prefer to learn about research through clinical practice guidelines rather than conventional scientific reports.