What do dentists know about statistics?

Abstract

A multiple choice test with nine statistical questions was sent to a random sample of Danish dentists to assess their knowledge of elementary statistical expressions (SD, SE, P less than 0.05, P greater than 0.05 and r). Of 250 dentists, 129 (52%) answered the questions. The test was also completed by 27 (71%) of 38 dental students immediately after the last lecture in statistics. The median number of correct answers was 2.2 among the dentists and 3.4 among the dental students. It is concluded that the statistical knowledge of most dentists, and to a lesser degree also dental students, is so limited that they cannot be expected to be critically against or to draw the right conclusions from those statistical analyses with which they are confronted. Only 35% of the dentists stated that it is very important that this problem be raised.