You are correct that you cannot do double-blind research in some areas but you can do good research. You can randomize patients to type of treatment. You can have someone other than the patient and the therapist do the assessment of status. I participated in the original Listerine clinical trial. The alternative treatment was using an iodine rinse. There is no way that you can hide which treatment the subject was receiving. However, the dentist and hygienist who did the pre- and post-assessment were not involved in randomizing or delivering the treatment. They were not to ask and we were instructed not to tell them which group we were in. Both the dentist and the hygienist assessed the status of the gums and the teeth. This was a well-designed trial that provided good data. Joyce Morris [EMAIL PROTECTED] Public Health Sciences Wichita State University
