Systematic Review on the Use of Homeopathy in Dentistry: Critical Analysis of Clinical Trials
The objective of this research was to systematically map the literature on homeopathy and dentistry studies and to evaluate the effectiveness of using homeopathy in dental practice through the critical analysis of clinical studies. The search for scientific articles in any language, year, and place...
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| Published in: | The journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 27; no. 3; p. 214 |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
United States
01-03-2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get more information |
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| Summary: | The objective of this research was to systematically map the literature on homeopathy and dentistry studies and to evaluate the effectiveness of using homeopathy in dental practice through the critical analysis of clinical studies.
The search for scientific articles in any language, year, and place of publication was made in the databases of Public Medline (PUBMED), Web of Science, Cochrane, and Virtual Health Library; the articles selected were later classified according to the type of study. Gray literature was accessed through Google Scholar. Clinical trials were analyzed for methodological quality. Two previously trained reviewers accomplished the entire process independently.
Of the 281 studies retrieved by means of the search, 44 met the eligibility criteria, with prevalence of literature reviews (56.8%), followed by clinical trials (34.1%), cross-sectional studies (6.8%), laboratory research (6.8%), and longitudinal observational studies (4.5%). The clinical trials identified were published from 1965 to 2019, using homeopathy in several dental specialties: in Endodontics, Periodontics, Orofacial Pain, Surgery, Pediatric Dentistry, and Stomatology, as well as in cases of dental anxiety. Qualitative failures, in all criteria investigated, and positive influences of the individual prescriptions on the results of treatments reported were observed.
There is still a scarcity of studies about homeopathy and dentistry. The clinical trials selected showed positive effects on oral health; however, when they were critically evaluated, it was possible to recognize qualitative failures, mainly relative to double-blinding. It is necessary to encourage research on the subject, using standardized methodological procedures, to obtain better evaluation of the clinical applicability. |
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| ISSN: | 1557-7708 |
| DOI: | 10.1089/acm.2020.0271 |