Transferring evidence-based information from dental school to practitioners: a pilot "academic detailing" program involving dental students.

An academic detailing program involving dental students as the academic detailers was conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Dental School in 2008 and 2009. Students were trained to visit general dentists and present critically appraised topic (CAT) documents in a face-to-face intervention. Thirty-eight students visited 143 general dentists during summer vacation breaks. Students reported that their participation in the project reinforced their commitment to evidence-based practice as taught in their coursework. The dentists also reported positively on the project.