Epistemology in Dentistry — Evidence, Logic, Uncertainty

Epistemology in Dentistry

How science advances: verification, paradigm shifts and statistical nuance.

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Epistemology

Epistemology studies the foundations, validity and limits of scientific knowledge. From Hume’s problem of verification to Kuhn’s paradigm shifts, science is not a straight line but a sequence of normal phases and crises that reshape what we accept as “true”.

In clinical research, the debate around statistical significance (e.g., campaigns to move beyond a rigid p < 0.05) invites nuanced inference: confidence intervals, Bayesian approaches, and transparent design reduce false positives and sharpen conclusions. Dentistry benefits when evidence is framed within these modern epistemic tools, avoiding binary thinking and embracing uncertainty as a path to better decisions.

The black swan question: do white swans imply all swans are white?
	Kuhn’s optical illusion: same data, different paradigm.

📑 References

• Scientists rise up against statistical significance — Amrhein et al., 2019
• Moving to a world beyond p < 0.05 — Wasserstein et al., 2019
• Rodgers JL — A quiet methodological revolution, 2010

 
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