The status of proof in orthodontics

Current orthodontic practice cannot be considered to constitute a discipline entirely based on scientific evidence. Unacceptable methodological flaws tarnish diagnosis and treatment in the majority of medical disciplines. The history and philosophy of medicine give abundant food for thought. At a time when European community bodies are calling for evidence-based medicine, this article issues an invitation to reflect about the facts and conventions in our specialty which are generally acknowledged to be well-founded. This article transposes what contemporary philosophy has to say about medicine in general to the more limited field of orthodontics and reiterates the reservations expressed in the orthodontic literature regarding the methods used to address diagnosis and treatment.