Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41437346›Full record

ArticleBMC oral health2025

Unveiling dental diagnostic dilemmas: a national survey of US dentists.

Enihomo Obadan-Udoh, Rachel Howard

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC oral health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors.

Enihomo Obadan-UdohDivision of Population Health, University of Utah School of Dentistry, 530 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA. eni.obadanudoh@hsc.utah.edu.
Rachel HowardDepartment of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, University of California San Francisco School of Dentistry, CA, 94143, San Francisco, US.

Funding

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 77152
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn dentistry, very little is known about diagnostic errors (DEs) despite their critical role in assessing patient safety. Many DE cases significantly impact the patient’s quality of life and daily function without necessarily causing medical harm. The primary goal of this study was to describe dentists past experiences or observations of DEs and their associated characteristics.

methodsWe conducted a national cross-sectional study of US dentists (May-June, 2021). The primary outcomes were self-reported personal experiences of DEs and observations of DEs made by other dentists. Secondary outcomes included: dental conditions frequently associated with DEs, phase of care, contributory factors, and potential interventions. We also explored the associations between provider demographics and practice characteristics with the primary outcomes.

results627 total responses were received from participants. About 40% of dentists reported observing a DE made by another dentist on a daily or weekly basis, while only 12.4% admitted to personally making a DE. The dental conditions most frequently selected by dentists as associated with DEs included: diseases of pulp, periapical tissues, and other disorders of the teeth and supporting structures (45%), acute and chronic sinusitis (44.6%), and head and neck cancers/neoplasms (43.9%). Younger dentists and those who attended to 61 + patients/week were significantly more likely to report personally making DEs.

conclusionUS Dentists report personally making or observing others making DEs frequently. New, innovative strategies are needed to reduce or eliminate the occurrence of DEs.

Indexed as

DentistsDiagnostic ErrorsPractice Patterns, Dentists'AdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSelf ReportSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited StatesDental careDiagnostic errorsGeneral dentistsPatient safetySpecialist dentists

Identifiers

PMID41437346
PMCPMC12836924

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.