Evidence-based dentistry in German-language dental journals 1997-2003

The purpose of this systematic literature search was to evaluate how the evidence-based approach appears in German-language dental journals. All volumes of 28 dental journals published between 1997 and 2003 were searched by hand; for 15 of these journals, an additional electronic search was made. The focus of the search was all articles, editorials or letters to the Editor dealing with topics related to evidence-based dentistry (EBD)/medicine or using its terminology. Of the 1776 journal issues that were scrutinised, 368 relevant publications were found. After a low, albeit slightly increasing, number of pertinent contributions published between 1997 and 1999, there was a sharp rise in 2000 and 2001, culminating in 2003. Our findings indicate a rising awareness of the concept of EBD in the German-language dental literature. Nonetheless, its reception within the German-speaking dental community is still modest.