Diakonoff H, Khalil G, Jungo S, Treluyer J M, Fron-Chabouis H, Smaïl-Faugeron V. Nonpublication and Selective Outcome Reporting of Oral Health Trials. J Dent Res 2023; DOI: 10.1177/00220345231158544.

There is a high rate of non-publication and selective outcome reporting in the field of oral health.

Less than one-quarter of oral health trials are registered in a public registry. However, no study has assessed the extent of study publication and selective outcome reporting bias in oral health. This study identified oral health trials registered between 2006 and 2016 in ClinicalTrials.gov. The authors assessed whether results of early discontinued trials, trials having an unknown status, and completed trials had been published and, among published trials, whether outcomes differed between the registered record and the corresponding publication. A total of 1,399 trials were included - 6% were discontinued, 18% had an unknown status, and 77% were completed. The registration was prospective for 52% of trials. Over half the registered trials were unpublished. Trials conducted in the United States or Brazil were associated with increased odds of publication, whereas trials registered prospectively and industry-sponsored trials were associated with decreased odds. Among the 479 published trials with completed status, the primary outcomes of 45% of articles differed from that registered.