Global mapping of randomized controlled trials in dentistry.

Abstract

This meta-research sought to evaluate the conduct, reporting, and main characteristics of published randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in dentistry. A search was performed on PubMed for RCTs in dentistry indexed from 31 December 2016 to 31 December 2021. Two reviewers independently screened the studies for the presence of eligibility criteria. Only studies in English were considered. Journal and author data, subject, citation and publishing metrics, reporting, and details of study conduct were collected. A descriptive analysis of the data, a map depicting the number of RCTs per country, and a network graph of scientific collaboration among different countries were presented. We included 844 articles. The main research area was periodontics (16.35%). The highest number of RCTs was attributed to Brazil (16.59%). Authors from the USA established the most links with other countries. Most studies did not report the use of CONSORT (67.89%), the type of randomization (69.31%), or the mechanism used to implement the random allocation sequence (52.37%). However, most studies included "randomized" in the title (71.92%) and reported the method for generating a random allocation sequence (65.88%) and blinding (74.88%). RCTs are the basis for clinical decision-making. Our results provide a better view of current RCTs and identify areas that require improvement. Brazil was the country that produced the most RCTs, and the USA was the main collaborator. We emphasize the variability of reporting characteristics and study conduct.