Making sense of the literature: an introduction to critical appraisal for the primary care practitioner

With an abundance of published literature, it is essential that primary care practitioners have the basic skills to determine which studies should impact their clinical decisions and which ones should not. This ability comes from having the skills required to critically appraise the literature. Critical appraisal is a fundamental part of being able to practice evidence-based dentistry, which is a General Dental Council requirement. This article will aim to provide practitioners with the key concepts of critical appraisal and introduce simple methods which can be adopted to aid in the reading of a research paper from a critical viewpoint.