"The author, who has a long track record of communicating statistics to non-experts, has for over 20 years steeped himself in the world of dental health care. The fruits of his experience are demonstrated by the rich set of examples which he brings to every chapter of the book. The subject matter of each chapter are applicable to any field involving statistical reasoning, but the authoritative way in which he relates every piece of teaching to realistic questions for dental care practitioners is most convincing. Previous generations of the dental community who have attempted to learn statistics have often had to turn to medical statistics textbooks. However, Smeeton has managed to break this mould and demonstrate properly the application of statistics in dentistry. His treatment of statistical concepts is orthodox and sound, but this third edition of the book has evolved to meet changing needs of the intended audience, including a welcome chapter on evidence-based dentistry. I anticipate many undergraduate and postgraduate dental students will find this book to be their primary source for their use of statistics."—Richard Morris, Professor in Medical Statistics, University of Bristol"The first edition of Nigel Smeeton’s highly accessible guide to research design and statistics was a breakthrough in providing a simple and easy to read guide to conducting research studies in dentistry. And now this third edition, which comprises 18 chapters, spans the principles of research design, broad aspects of the ethics of research, principles of statistical analysis and the appraisal of research (including peer review of manuscripts). Each chapter provides an introduction to the topic it will address which outlines the importance of the topic and the areas that will be covered, this is followed by the main body of the chapter, and is concluded with a short test for the reader to appraise their own learning. The author draws extensively on published dental research to provide examples. The most remarkable aspect of this book is that there is so little mathematics in it. The focus of the learning is understanding how statistics work without delving into the formulae. The third edition brings a new chapter on evidence based dental practice which is becoming increasingly important for policy and practice. There are also some new sections on advanced techniques – which with the increased availability of statistical software are being used more widely.There is little doubt that this is a very useful book for undergraduate dental students learning the skills of research design and critical appraisal of scientific research which will form part of the foundation for their future learning and continuing professional development. Throughout the text the key learning points are emphasised, and there are exercises to test the new learning. I would strongly recommend it for undergraduate courses. However I also believe it will be very useful for qualified practitioners who are keen to develop an awareness of statistical issues, in order to support an evidence-based approach to dental practice."–J T Newton, King’s College London Dental Institute
