A Guide to the Appraisal of Research: 2. What's in a Number?

From Volume 36, Issue 9, November 2009 | Pages 570-576

Authors

Geoff Bateman

BDS, MFDS, MMedEd, MRD, FDS(Rest Dent)

Specialist Registrar in Restorative Dentistry, Birmingham Dental Hospital

Articles by Geoff Bateman

FJ Trevor Burke

DDS, MSc, MDS, MGDS, FDS (RCS Edin), FDS RCS (Eng), FCG Dent, FADM,

Articles by FJ Trevor Burke

Shuva Saha

BDS, MFDS(Ed), MFDS(Eng), MPhil, Dip Con Sed, FDS(Rest Dent)

Specialist Registrar, Department of Restorative Dentistry, Birmingham Dental Hospital

Articles by Shuva Saha

Abstract

This review explores the nature of numbers in dental research, their importance and, at a basic level, how these are handled. This includes the important numbers that practitioners should look at when appraising research and discussion of some commonly found statistical terms.

Article