Clinical practice guidelines in dentistry: A Canadian perspective

Abstract

Clinical practice guidelines are a pre-appraised source of the best available evidence on a particular clinical topic. They are not designed to replace clinical judgment or usurp clinicians’ autonomy. Rather, the clinician is expected to take into account each patient’s history and preferences, together with their clinical judgment, when applying a guideline. This article outlines the organizational structure and the methodology used by a clinical practice guideline development group. We discuss both advantages and disadvantages of guidelines, and outline some of the present barriers to their implementation. The Canadian Collaboration on Clinical Practice Guidelines in Dentistry produce guidelines on issues of oral health. These guidelines are based on systematic reviews of clinical research and validated through consensus of content experts and clinicians.

Keywords

• Clinical practice guidelines. Evidence based health care. Dentistry. Oral health. Clinical decision making