Editorial: Core outcome sets and measures for clinical trials in implant dentistry.

It is well established that the validity of clinical recommendations relies heavily on the quality of clinical trials that investigate therapeutic procedures, and on the accurate reporting of treatment outcomes, complication rates and patient perceptions related to their use. Indeed, our recent involvement in the development of the upcoming European Federation of Periodontology guideline for the treatment of peri-implant diseases and conditions has reinforced our appreciation of the value of sound research data. Nevertheless, it is also true that the selection of pertinent outcomes employed across the available clinical trials conducted in implant dentistry thus far has been variable and rather inconsistent. Today, we are very pleased that our two journals publish simultaneously the present special issue that identifies core outcome sets for implant dentistry, based on the principles of the Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials initiative. In fact, this is the first time that such an ambitious project—the product of an international collaboration—has been conducted in the broader field of dental medicine. We want to emphasize that the process of identifying these core outcomes was methodologically rigorous and involved several components: a number of commissioned systematic reviews; participation of patients with lived experience in dental implants who reported their perspectives and priorities; and a Delphi survey that used a multi-stakeholder approach that included dental care professionals, dental industry representatives and research methodologists to validate essential outcomes. The effort culminated in a consensus paper that stipulates a set of core outcomes and measurements to be used in future clinical research in implant dentistry. We strongly encourage all who conduct research in this field to incorporate the identified essential outcomes in the design of future clinical trials and to provide detailed reporting in ensuing publications. Although we expect that these outcomes will be inevitably enriched, based on developments in technology as well as through experiences gained by new research, they comprise the most comprehensive, inclusive, validated and highly relevant measures to patients and clinicians that have been compiled to date. Importantly, consistent adoption of these outcomes will facilitate future meta-analyses and evidence-based clinical decision making to the benefit of patients and the dental profession. We urge, and are confident that, our scientific community will embrace this concept, as has been the case in other areas of medicine.