I wish to express my sense of disappointment after reading Dr. Ingvar Magnusson and colleagues’ December JADA article, "Quantification and Analysis of Pain in Nonsurgical Scaling and/or Root Planing." The article is a manifestation of a trend that, in my opinion, has besmirched the reputation of our flagship journal. The trend that I refer to is the flourishing relationship between the for-profit world of industry and JADA’s published scientific research. They have become too close.
There are several circumstances surrounding the article in question that cast doubt on its validity. First, the principal author and one of the coauthors "own shares" of the company whose product is the focus of the study, as revealed in the disclosure at the bottom of page 1747. Second, the credits at the end of the article further reveal that these same two authors actually have positions within the company. Third, the article is inappropriately titled, which diverts the reader’s attention from the fact that the study is about a product, and not the "quantification and analysis of pain." Finally, and perhaps most distressing, is the fact that our own former JADA editor is a co-investigator and co-author of this article.
As an editor, I am aware that readers have the responsibility to evaluate research and draw their own conclusions as to its validity and practical application. I also am aware that industry plays an important role in funding research. There are numerous publications in which the preponderance of articles are product promotions that are either backed by the manufacturers, written by people on their payroll or both. Such publications can provide useful information to the practitioner and have their own place in the body of dental literature.
However, I hold our journal to a higher standard. Disclosure is not a substitute for the responsible presentation of research that is unbiased and untainted by for-profit interests. As difficult as it may seem to some, JADA should take a tough stance and refrain from publishing product research when there is a direct connection between the manufacturer and the study in question. To do any less will further erode the value of JADA to its readers and hinder the practitioner’s ability to apply unbiased information in rendering patient care.
