The cross-sectional design precludes establishing causal relationships between psychological and oral health
Research gap analysis derived from 3 medicine papers in our local library.
The gap
the cross-sectional design precludes establishing causal relationships between psychological and oral health, and the observed associations should therefore be interpreted with caution - participants were recruited from private dental clinics in Damascus using consecutive sampling, which reflects logistical considerations and investigator access during the study period - these adolescents…
Evidence profile
Sourced from the future-work section and limitations section and limitations of the source papers, classified as general, spanning 2 journals. Those papers have been cited 2 times in total.
Research trend
Established — well-defined area with open sub-problems.
Supporting evidence — 3 representative gaps
- Socio-Economic Determinants of Access to Orthodontic Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Romanian Population (2026) · Dentistry Journal · doi
employ larger and more representative samples, preferably using probability-based sampling methods, to confirm the associations observed in the present study - incorporate objective measures of oral health literacy, clinical assessments of orthodontic treatment need, and psychosocial determinants of treatment-seeking behavior - combine epidemiological surveys with clinical examinations to provide a more comprehensive assessment of inequalities in orthodontic treatment access - integrate epidemiological surveys with clinical assessments of orthodontic treatment need to provide a more comprehensive understanding of treatment disparities and to support the development of evidence-based public health policies
generalfuture-work sectionKeywords: employ larger representative samples preferably using probability-based sampling - Associations between psychological distress and untreated dental caries in conflict-affected Syrian adolescents: a cross-sectional study (2026) · Frontiers in Oral Health · doi
the cross-sectional design precludes establishing causal relationships between psychological and oral health, and the observed associations should therefore be interpreted with caution - participants were recruited from private dental clinics in Damascus using consecutive sampling, which reflects logistical considerations and investigator access during the study period - these adolescents were seeking dental care, they may have had greater treatment needs than adolescents in the general population, potentially introducing selection bias and limiting the generalizability of the findings
generallimitations sectionevidence 5/5Keywords: cross-sectional design precludes establishing causal relationships between psychological - Clinical trends and utilization of clear aligner therapy among specialist orthodontists in Iran (2026) · Frontiers in Oral Health · cited 2× · doi
However, responses were received from orthodontists working across a wide range of geographical locations, which similar studies have rarely reported, and clinical environments such as private practice, university and mixed practice, suggesting that the findings are likely to have external validity. Despite the limitations, the inclusion of respondents from diverse practice settings and professional backgrounds supports the generalisability of the results to orthodontists currently practising in Iran, although caution is warranted.
generallimitationsevidence 5/5Keywords: practice orthodontists responses received working across wide range geographical locations similar rarely reported clinical environments
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