A guide to the appraisal of research: 2. What's in a number?
Bateman, G.; Burke, F.J.Trevor.; Saha, S.
Dental Update 36(9): 570
2009
ISSN/ISBN: 0305-5000 PMID: 20099609 Document Number: 636427
This review explores the nature of numbers in dental research, their importance and, at a basic level, how these are handled. This includes the important numbers that practitioners should look at when appraising research and discussion of some commonly found statistical terms. In order to apply evidence-based dentistry in clinical practice, dentists should have an understanding of the basic numbers reported in dental research, and an appreciation of this should allow them to identify which papers are most valuable to inform their clinical practice.