Evidence-based dentistry has been established for more than a decade, and described as ‘the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients＇. However, Orthodontic clinicians in China still tend to base their treatment protocols on the ‘it works in my hands＇evidence provided by their peers, mainly due to their weak experience in searching and applying clinical evidences. In this article, authors are willing to share their experience with their Chinese peers, and to promote the dissemination and application of evidence-based orthodontics in clinical practice.
Having searched The Cochrane Library (Issue 4, 2005), we found: fluoride can reduce the occurrence and severity of white spot lesions; removal of premature contacts of the primary teeth can prevent posterior crossbite; expanding the top teeth can decrease the risk of a posterior crossbite; CSF may help retaining teeth; clear overlay retainer may settle teeth quicker than Hawley retainer; adhesives for fixed orthodontic brackets is still in dispute.