Why do some people have teeth missing?
Where does this information come from?
The website has been made by young peoplewho have missing teeth and dentists. Click here for more information about how the website was made.We have included notes throughout the website about where our information comes from. This includes:
Other people's opinion about missing teeth and dental treatment
Research
Research can be used to find out how well the different dental treatments work; people’s experience of having missing teeth; and people’s experience of having dental treatment. There are four main types of dental research:
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials are used to look at which treatment works best. In clinical trials people are given different treatments and the researcher measures what happens. This gives dentists the best information about different treatments.
Observational studies
In this type of research, people have the dental treatment they have chosen and the researcher looks at what happens. Sometimes it is difficult to know if it was the treatment that caused the effect or something else.
Case reports
These describe how treatment has worked for one person or a few people. This is a good way of telling people about new ideas. It is hard to know if treatment will work the same for other people.
Interviews & questionnaires
These ask people about their experiences of having missing teeth, their dental treatment for missing teeth and how they feel about it. Research about people’s experiences of missing teeth and dental treatment can be analysed to give us a better idea of what people feel and think about their experiences.
The dental team's experience
For some treatments there has not been any research yet, or the research does not tell us everything we need to know.
In this case, information is based on the dental team’s experience of looking after people with missing teeth. Different dental teams might have different experiences, so the information might not always be the same.
Other people's opinion
Sometimes other people share their opinion about missing teeth and dental treatment on social media. This can be helpful to understand how other people feel. This information is based on their opinions. Your experiences and views might be different.
What information can be trusted?
Telling you where our information has comefrom will help you decide if it can be trusted.
You can trust information if it is:
Valid – this means it is truthful
Reliable – this means the information is based on facts
Unbiased – this means it is presented in a fair and balanced way
Transparent – this means it you know where facts have come from
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