Do Canadian dentists find dental research useful?

The aim of this joint CDA-IMHA study was to investigate what Canadian dentists think about the utility of dental research. A questionnaire was sent to all dentists in Canada with the December 2001 edition of JCDA. By April 1, 2002, 2,788 questionnaires, representing a response rate of approximately 16%, had been returned. In this first article in a 3-part series, we address the theme of research utility. The results show that 82% of respondents think that dental research has an important or very important impact on the dental health of Canadians. Furthermore, 98% of respondents claim to have modified an element of their clinical practice after having been informed of some research results.