To ring in the new year, FDI sat down with Professor Ira Lamster, editor-in-chief of the International Dental Journal (IDJ), to discuss what’s important for FDI’s primary scientific publication in 2019.

Prof. Ira Lamster

Editor-in-Chief International Dental Journal

What is the International Dental Journal’s mission?

The IDJ has two equally important missions. One is to acknowledge and advance FDI’s mission to serve as the voice of the dental profession, promote optimal oral health, support its membership (which includes reinforcing member capacity to provide oral healthcare), and encourage information transfer. The other is to be an independent academic publication that publishes papers that advance dental science.

What type of original content is published in the International Dental Journal?

Each issue of the IDJ generally includes manuscripts in three content areas: practice-related research, international public health and interprofessional education and practice. The Journal often also publishes concise reviews, commentaries and/or an editorial. In the future, the IDJ will continue to promote oral healthcare across the globe and explore the interrelationship between dentistry and other aspects of healthcare. Papers that have been accepted and undergone peer-review are available on the Journal’s website (early view) before they are published in an issue. Publication in an issue is based on date of acceptance.

Could you tell us a little more about the special virtual issues that were launched in 2018 as well as any other content to expect in the new year?

The virtual issues bring together papers previously published in the Journal that address a specific theme, such as children’s oral health or oral healthcare for older adults. Special supplements are also published. These include an annual supplement containing the abstracts of presentations at the FDI World Dental Congress, as well as special topic-focused supplements. The most recent example of the latter being the special supplement that was published to report the outcomes of FDI’s Brush Day & Night programme.

Why should dentists and other oral health professionals subscribe to the International Dental Journal?

The purpose of the IDJ is to inform dentists and other oral healthcare professionals. These providers can use the new data published in the IDJ to understand the oral health needs of different populations, be familiar with risk factors for oral diseases, learn about new approaches to addressing oral health problems, and understand the advantages of collaborating with other providers across the healthcare spectrum.

Join the International Dental Journal community today

Prof. Lamster has been editor-in-chief of IDJ since 2015. He is currently Dean Emeritus, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and Clinical Professor, Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine. Prof. Lamster served as Dean of the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine from 2001 to 2012, and Senior Vice President of Columbia University Medical Center from 2006 to 2012. His research efforts have focused on diagnostic testing and risk assessment for periodontal disease, the interrelationship of periodontal disease and systemic disease, the oral health care needs of older adults and the future of dental education and practice. Prof. Lamster is the author of more than 190 manuscripts and book chapters.