INTERVIEW
An interview with the editor Nicola Innes Deputy Editor Following the recent announcement that
was then the Dean at the Faculty of
the Centre for Evidence-Based Dentistry
General Dental Practitioners, David
is relocating to the University of Dundee
Sackett and myself. It was my first large
Dental School’s Dental Health Services
public engagement experience because
Research Unit, I took the opportunity to
there were people from the Department
catch up with Derek Richards, who is the
of Health, people from the Faculty and
Director of the Centre. Derek is internation-
a range of the great and good in den-
ally renowned for his expertise in evidence-
tistry who had been invited along. It
based dentistry and regularly supports a
was as part of the workshop, discuss-
range of dental evidence teaching initia-
ing the next steps for Evidence-Based
tives around the world. I wanted to ask the
Dentistry, that it was agreed that two
man who helped establish the Centre for
of those key steps were establishing the
Evidence-based Dentistry almost 20 years
Centre for Evidence-Based Dentistry
ago, and this journal, a few questions about
and developing a Journal in Evidence-
how he got started.
Based Dentistry. So those were the initial stages: we then, in 1995, invited
NI Derek, can you tell us a little bit about
representatives to form a steering group
how you got interested in Evidence-
which included the Postgraduate Dean,
Based Dentistry?
Dave Sackett and Muir Gray - quite a
DR It all started when I was doing my spe-
powerful group.
Derek Richards
ciality in dental public health training. My lead trainer, Alan Lawrence, at the time had just finished developing a regional oral health strategy with Muir
NI So
Evidence-Based
DR When I was working in Oxford, after
Dentistry came about as part of that
finishing my training there, I got a
whole process then?
Consultant post in Berkshire, but we
the
Journal
of
Gray, at that time Regional Director
DR Yes, we worked through a series of meet-
worked very closely across the Oxford
of Public Health in Oxford, and they
ings with Mike Grace, who was then the
region, and then because of changes
decided that now there was a specialist
Editor of the British Dental Journal, their
within the Oxford region and in the
trainee (me) we should start the Centre
publishers, Oxford Medical Knowledge,
NHS generally, I was looking for a move
for Evidence-Based Dentistry! So, I
and ourselves to develop a plan for the
of post with new challenges and, having
started my training, and during the
journal. It initially came out as a sup-
a Scottish wife, an opportunity came up
2nd week of my training programme I
plement for the BDJ and the original
in Scotland. We had a relationship with
was taken to meet Muir Gray and David
development plan was to have two sup-
the Dental Health Services Research
Sackett in the John Radcliffe hospital
plements a year for three years before
Unit (DHSRU) and Professor Clarkson
canteen and we had a discussion about
moving to a quarterly journal. However,
for a number of years. We had spoken at
evidence-based healthcare. The first
we heard that one of the other publish-
meetings and had become quite friend-
thing I had to do was get trained! So I
ers was planning to launch an Evidence-
ly, so when the opportunity came up
then got into the Oxford CASP (Critical
Based Dentistry Journal, so we changed
to move to Scotland I took it, and then
Appraisal Skills Programme) and spent a
plans and the journal originally came
shortly after moving up, I was invit-
lot of time working with Amanda Burls,
out as a quarterly supplement to the BDJ
ed to provide specialist advice to the
(who is still a leading light in CASP
and subsequently became a stand-alone
Scottish Dental Clinical Effectiveness
UK
workshops
journal, in 2000 I think, and in 2004
Programme which had only been up
teaching critical appraisal skills. We
we applied to for it to be indexed on
and running for a little while. That was
then decided to run a workshop about
Medline and fortunately it was accepted,
one link that started to develop with
Evidence-Based Dentistry, to encour-
so all those things happened over a four
Dundee, and because the Dental Health
age the profession as a whole to get
year period. It was quite a busy time, as
Services Research Unit and the Clinical
involved - this was held at Templeton
there is quite a lot of work involved in
Effectiveness Programme were two of
College in Oxford on December 15th
getting a journal together!
the four evidence-based dentistry groups
Network)
providing
1994. It involved Bob Ireland, who
working in the UK (besides the Centre
was professor at Liverpool who had
NI Tell me a little bit about the move now
for Evidence-based Dentistry and, of
been working on the dental informat-
to the University of Dundee Dental
course, the Cochrane Collaboration), we
ics project ORQUEST, Steven Rear who
School.
then formed a virtual network between
100
© EBD 2013:14.4 © 2013 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved
INTERVIEW the four groups. So, I’ve had a connec-
DR I am a friend of the Dental Elf, in fact I
tion with Dundee for some time and my
masquerade as the Dental Elf! It’s a fairly
post in Scotland has changed around
recent development - he’s been going
DR Well I think the development of the
a little bit over the past four years. For
since 2011. It was an innovative idea
Triads Programme in Dundee is another
my Consultant in dental public health
originally from the evidence-based con-
good reason for coming here. This is
role I now provide Dental Public Health
sultancy company called Minervation
a multi-disciplinary group looking at
advice and support as part of a network
that I’ve been working with for a num-
implementation of knowledge across a
to the five Health Boards on the East of
ber of years. Two directors of the compa-
number of specialties now and is a very
Scotland – that’s Tayside, Forth Valley,
ny, Andre Tomlin and Doug Badenoch,
constructive development that could
Fife, Lothian and Borders, so the Dental
used to run the IT and the web pres-
be taken forward further. Also, I sup-
School at Dundee along with DHSRU
ence for the Centre for Evidence-Based
pose the involvement of the American
sits within NHS Tayside. Following
Medicine and the Centre for Evidence-
Dental Association and their Evidence-
the recent changes in the structure at
Based Mental Health, and when funding
Based Centre has been another positive:
Dundee Dental School an opportunity
for them dried up a number of years ago,
they have put a lot of resource into it
arose to move the Centre for Evidence-
they formed their own company. They
in recent times and that is a really opti-
Based Dentistry into the School, so we
have been responsible for the Centre for
mistic development. I spend some of
took that opportunity.
Evidence-Based Dentistry’s web presence
my time travelling over to the US as we
for a number of years too, so we have a
help them run an Advanced Evidence-
NI What new developments are you mak-
long-standing relationship. They pro-
Based Dentistry course annually and
ing now that the Centre for Evidence-
posed the idea of the Dental Elf as part
have done for the last six or seven years.
Based Dentistry has moved to the Dental
of the National Elf Service, so we have
A number of appointments to Evidence-
School at the University of Dundee?
been running that now since 2011. It
Based Dentistry lecturing posts have
DR As a result of recent changes to the GDC
has a growing band of support and a
been made too and that’s another wel-
learning outcomes for dental education,
growing number of followers and we
come achievement - although it has
published in the Preparing for Practice
have plans to develop that for the future
taken almost twenty years to get there
document, one of the things I’ll be help-
now as well.
- but change is sometimes a long and
ing with is to get more of an evidence-
think are the areas that are going to be important in Evidence-Based Dentistry?
difficult process, but I feel that we are
based focus, so although Dundee has
NI I know the Dental Elf has about 1,500
starting to make progress along the
teaching and activities around evidence-
followers on Twitter (@DentalElf), and
road and the future for Evidence-Based
based practice interspersed through-
I’m sure that will also continue to grow.
Dentistry is looking positive!
out the five undergraduate years, some
What do you think of the high spots
elements of my work would be to sup-
within Dentistry for Evidence-Based
port further developments in this. Also,
Practice and Healthcare?
Derek, thanks for taking the time to talk a bit about how you got started in world of
looking towards postgraduate develop-
DR I suppose one of the high spots is
dental evidence. Your early lead in establish-
ments, develop a Masters programme
the development and success of the
ing the Centre for Evidence-Based Dentistry
in Evidence-Based Health Care that has
Cochrane Oral Health Group which
and the journal has promoted evidence
a dental focus, following on from being
has now completed over 150 reviews.
within dentistry as an entity before most
involved with teaching on a Masters
One of the disappointments though,
people were formally thinking this way.
programme in Oxford for a number of
is that, although there is a robust evi-
“The Centre for Evidence-based Dentistry,
years. So it would be nice to have a more
dence-base for prevention, perhaps it
established in 1995, is an independent body
dentally focussed Masters programme
isn’t implemented to the degree that
whose aim is to promote the teaching, learn-
in Evidence-Based Healthcare and that’s
it should be, and the evidence we have
ing, practice and evaluation of evidence-
one of the things we are hoping to
is a little bit thin on the ground in
based dentistry world-wide.” http://www.
develop in the not too distant future.
other areas of Dentistry although this
cebd.org/
is improving. NI That sounds very exciting. I believe that you’re a good friend of the Dental Elf too, aren’t you?
NI I guess that brings me on to the next question I’d like to ask. What do you
Evidence-Based Dentistry (2013) 14, 100-101. doi:10.1038/sj.ebd.6400962
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