This issue features articles on biologics, carious lesions, and dental student professionalism.

Cover image: Dental tartar. Scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of dental tartar. Dental tartar is a hard, calcified deposit that forms and coats the teeth and gums. If plaque is not removed on a regular basis, it hardens within 24 to 72 hours and becomes tartar.

This issue features articles on supportive periodontal therapy, environmental impact, and oral healthcare access for asylum seekers and refugees.

Cover image: Dental plaque. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of dental plaque (pink) on a tooth. Plaque consists of a film of bacteria embedded in a glycoprotein matrix. The matrix is formed from bacterial secretions and saliva. Magnification: x300 when printed at 10 cm wide

This issue features articles on artificial intelligence, MRONJ, and occlusion.

Cover image: Plaque-forming bacteria. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of plaque-forming bacteria. Plaque consists of a film of bacteria embedded in a glycoprotein matrix. The matrix is formed from bacterial secretions and saliva. Plaque is the main cause of tooth decay. The bacteria feed on sugars in food, producing acid as a waste product. This acid corrodes the teeth’s enamel coating, resulting in dental caries. A build-up of dental plaque can also lead to inflamed and infected gums. Severe gum disease can lead to teeth falling out. Magnification: x3000 when printed at 10 cm across.

This issue features articles on e-cigarettes, peri-implantitis, and ceramic dental implants.

Cover image: Human tooth fractured enamel. SEM of a fracture in a tooth revealing the enamel rod morphology. Tooth enamel is the highly mineralised covering of the crown of a tooth. It is the hardest and most highly mineralised substance of the body. Ninety-six percent of enamel consists of mineral, with water and organic material composing the rest. Enamel is a translucent substance composed of parallel rods (or prisms) of highly calcified material cemented together by a hard, calcified substance. The basic unit of enamel is called an enamel rod or enamel prism which is a tightly packed mass of hydroxyapatite crystals in an organised pattern. The rods are arranged perpendicular to the surface of the enamel. Hydroxylapatite is a crystalline calcium phosphate. Enamel has two unique classes of proteins called amelogenins and enamelins. Magnification: x400.

This Oral Medicine themed issue features articles on skin cancer, oral dysaesthesia, and considerations for the older patient.

Cover image: Dentin. The teeth are hard structures which grow out of the jaws and are used to tear and chew food. The exposed surface of the tooth is called the crown and its roots are implanted in the jawbone. The pulp cavity of the tooth contains numerous blood vessels and nerves and is surrounded with dentin, which itself is covered with enamel. Dentin, viewed here under SEM, is a calcified tissue also known as ivory. Here, longitudinal fracture plane along the tubuli axis. SEM magnified 3,000x.

This issue features articles on Parkinson’s, dental implants, and health education.

Cover image: Oral bacteria. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of mixed oral bacteria attached to a buccal cell (pink) from the cheek. The mouth contains a large number of bacteria, most of which are harmless or even beneficial. However, some bacteria can cause throat infections or cause the formation of plaque deposits on the teeth, which may lead to decay. Magnification: x6500 at 10 cm high.

This issue features articles on long COVID, methoxyflurane, and functional neurologic disorder.

Cover image: Dental enamel SEM. Tooth enamel, the compact white substance protecting the dentin, is the hardest substance in the human body. Microscopically, the prismatic structure of enamel gives the crown of the tooth a spiral-like surface. Despite its strength, tooth enamel can be destroyed by acids which bacteria produce from sugar.

This issue features articles on denture loss, eco footprints, and dental care for cardiac transplant patients.

Cover image: Bacterial plaque.

Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) showing human tooth accumulation of bacterial plaque (smooth areas) and calcified tartar (rough areas) on enamel surface. Plaque is a sticky, colourless film of bacteria that forms on teeth. You can sense this film due to your tongue feeling the silky surface on your teeth.