The Cochrane Oral Health Group (COHG) is to establish a Professional Global Alliance this year. National and international organisations working in oral health have been approached to join the Alliance, which aims to create an expert methodological and administrative team to lead the preparation of systemic reviews, with the help of international clinical experts.

The COHG is part of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international non-profit, independent organisation, providing up to date information about the effects of healthcare by publishing high quality systematic reviews of clinical trials.

Currently COHG reviews are usually undertaken by clinicians with some limited methodological help from the editorial base. Once published, each review needs regular updating (current Cochrane guidance is every two years).

Due to increased commitments on clinicians' time and more complex research methods being introduced centrally, the COHG needs to fundamentally change the way that many of its reviews are conducted. The Group is looking for a source of funding as it is unable to accept funding from industrial or pharmaceutical companies.

In return for an annual contribution, members of the new Alliance will be consulted on the prioritisation of reviews to be undertaken, and representatives will join an Advisory Group to ensure that the oral health reviews published in The Cochrane Library are of the highest quality.