Those few of you who make a habit of reading the mast-head of this Journal may have noticed a change. After 11 years of dedicated and fruitful service, Dr. Lawrence Meskin decided to retire as editor at the end of 2001. I know you join me in thanking Larry for the dynamic leadership, meticulous editorship and sparkling (sometimes controversial) editorials that have made JADA shine through the "Meskin decade." A hard act to follow, but the show must go on.

So when the ADA leadership asked me to be your new editor, it was with a mixture of excitement and terror that I accepted the challenge. Over the succeeding weeks, as I consulted with the publisher and her staff in Chicago, with the outstanding team of associate editors around the country and (not least) with Dr. Meskin in Colorado, I came to realize that JADA is vigorous, amply supplied with talent and unlikely to be wrecked by one novice editor. I breathed easier, and the stage fright passed.

In the course of 25 years in dentistry (yes, that’s a quarter-century), I have met and worked with so many readers of The Journal that I feel we know each other well. But, of course, that’s not the case, and in reality I am unknown to most of you. I look forward to meeting as many of my colleagues as possible, and hearing your ideas about JADA, over the coming years. In the meanwhile, let me take this opportunity to respond collectively to some of the questions that have already come my way.

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE EDITOR OF JADA?
Someone once told me that research isn’t worth anything until someone knows about it. That is an idea that I have taken very much to heart, and I try to teach my students that clarity and context are essential to good scientific communication. JADA’s wide and diverse readership provides a wonderful opportunity to put these principles into practice. How could I not be eager to take on such a challenge?

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF JADA?
JADA is American dentistry’s journal of record. As such, it has a responsibility to seek and publish high-quality manuscripts that document advances across the whole frontier of dental science and practice. Not every article will be of interest to every reader, of course, but I do hope that The Journal will facilitate cross-specialty communication through clearly written articles on timely topics.

WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT TO SEE IN THE JOURNAL? ANY CHANGES?
Don’t expect any radical changes. The Journal is here to facilitate communication between authors and readers, so reader interest is a strong consideration in the mix. You may see a greater emphasis on controlled clinical studies in patients, studies of devices and materials, scientific work on infection control and data-driven articles that address active controversies. We are considering an ongoing series of state-of-the-art reviews of specialties and scientific areas, written so as to be accessible to anyone in the dental community. The columns, tutorials and opinion pieces that you now enjoy will continue as before. But please, give us feedback, so that JADA can evolve to meet your needs.

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND? CAN YOU REPRESENT THE READERS’ INTERESTS?
Well, I’m a dentist, a periodontist and a professor of dentistry. I received my doctorate in dental medicine in 1976 and my periodontology certificate in 1978, and have since taught at dental schools in Massachusetts and Alabama. Like most faculty members, I wear several hats: clinical and didactic teaching, research, practice administration—and lots of writing. My own research interests lie in technology (for diagnosis and treatment), implants and clinical research.

Do I represent the readership? Not all by myself, of course not. That’s not the idea. JADA relies heavily on a superb group of associate editors, among the best in their respective fields, to guarantee the relevance, timeliness and quality of its articles. As editor, I can only promise to be open-minded and fair.

SHOULD I EXPECT AN ADA POLICY TO MATCH EACH RESEARCH ARTICLE?
By definition, your Journal often will be sailing in uncharted waters. New ideas, new drugs, new materials and new dental services never can be fully validated in a single published study. Clinical experience and further research will confirm, refute or render irrelevant every article we publish, and that’s as it should be: ours is a dynamic profession. Because it takes time and multiple observations to ascertain the significance of emerging research, you should not expect a policy statement relating to every article.

SHOULD JADA BE A MAJOR SOURCE FOR ADA NEWS AND POLICY?
No. The American Dental Association has two outlets designed for this purpose: ADA News and the ADA Web site ("www.ada.org"). Both provide timely and comprehensive information for ADA members. The Journal, on the other hand, is intended to provide peer-reviewed information for the dental community throughout the world. Its articles should be of lasting (if not perpetual) value, and I hope you will keep your copies of The Journal for future reference.

WHAT ABOUT LETTERS?
Keep them coming. Letters—of all sorts—are the lifeblood of a publication like ours. We read them all and try to respond appropriately, from simple requests for information to criticism to thoughtful commentaries on published articles. If you would like your letter printed in JADA, please try to keep it concise and to the point. We want to publish as many of your opinions as possible.

WILL THERE BE CHANGES IN THE LONGER TERM?
Over time you will begin to see changes in your Journal, but I cannot predict what form they will take. Whether you are an author, a reader or both, please take the time to write with your suggestions.

As I write this, the world is grappling with a new and horrific outbreak of barbarism. We are told that "everything has changed," and to some extent that is true. But while some major adjustments in our habits and our world view may be in order, I believe this is a time for recommitment to principles that we know to be sound. In closing, then, let me assure you that The Journal will continue to stand, as it always has, for truth, progress and quality care for all our patients.