The AAPD regularly develops, publishes, and disseminates clinical practice guidelines via the process described in this section. The topic for each clinical practice guideline is recommended by the Evidence-Based Dentistry Committee and approved by the Board of Trustees. Potential topics for consideration by the EBD committee for systematic reviews and or guideline development can be submitted by EBD Committee members, AAPD leaders and members, and council/committee members. The EBD committee may also consider topics of high priority to pediatric dentistry. Topics are then evaluated by literature review to determine if there is adequate published material that could inform development of a review and guideline. If the topic is deemed of sufficient importance and there is adequate published material to inform a guideline, then the topic and a proposal is submitted to the AAPD Board of Trustees as described above.

Based on the initial assessment of the literature on a specific topic, individuals involved in research and content experts of the topic may be considered as potential members of a workgroup for guideline development. Proposed workgroup members ideally have experience with the methodology used for systematic reviews and/or guideline development but may need additional training (e.g., AAPD or ADA EBD courses). Workgroups typically have up to 10 members depending on the topic, amount of literature available to inform guideline and complexity, and breadth of the topic. In addition, the EBD Committee may consider nominating a layperson (such as a parent of a patient or a consumer/health/child advocate) to any workgroup if the topic would benefit by such addition. A proposed chair and list of workgroup members is submitted by the EBD Committee to the Board of Trustees for approval.