Clinical practice guidelines in dentistry: Part II. By dentists, for dentists

Area of Science:

• Dental Medicine
• Health Policy
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Growing interest in clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) across healthcare professions.
• Misperceptions regarding the risks and benefits of CPGs exist.
• Challenges in developing sound, credible, and relevant guidelines for dentists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the history, structure, and processes of the Canadian Collaboration on CPGs in Dentistry (CCCD).
• To introduce the first guideline being developed by the CCCD for Canadian dentists.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive overview of the CCCD's establishment and operational framework.
• Explanation of the collaborative model involving multiple stakeholders.
• Introduction to the development process of a new dental CPG.

Main Results:

• The formation of a unique, autonomous collaboration (CCCD) within the Canadian dental profession.
• The CCCD is actively developing its first clinical practice guideline.
• The collaboration emphasizes stakeholder involvement for guideline credibility.

Conclusions:

• The establishment of the CCCD represents a significant step in developing Canadian-specific dental guidelines.
• The collaborative model aims to address challenges and improve the relevance of CPGs for dentists.
• The ongoing development of the first guideline demonstrates the CCCD's commitment to evidence-based dentistry.