Estimating MEDLINE's identification of randomized control trials in pediatric dentistry.

The purpose of this study was to determine the number of randomized controlled trials in children from 1990-2000 in seven dental disciplines. Sensitive and specific MEDLINE search methodologies were used for upper and lower estimates, capture-recapture corrected those estimates, and hand evaluation refined the estimates. The data indicate that between 602 and 1737 trials were published, and the number per year doubled from 1990 to 2000. These results have implications for clinical decision making, the development of systematic reviews, insurance reimbursement, and teaching.