Change Can be a Good Thing!
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* Rebecca Wilder

![Figure1](http://jdh.adha.org/https://jdh.adha.org/content/jdenthyg/87/2/58/F1.medium.gif)

[Figure1](http://jdh.adha.org/content/87/2/58/F1)

I had a great experience at the recent America Dental education Association meeting in Seattle, Washington. It was wonderful to see dental hygiene colleagues from across the United States and Canada come together to celebrate academic dentistry and dental hygiene. I also had an opportunity to partner with a dental colleague of mine, Dr. David Felton, to teach a workshop on writing for publication. Dr. Felton is now the Dean of the University of West Virginia School of Dentistry, but he was a faculty member at the UNC School of Dentistry for many years before his move to West Virginia. Dr. Felton has been the editor of the Journal of Prosthodontics for many years. Occasionally, we chat about editor topics, especially how we want to make our publications better for our professional colleagues. So we decided to join forces and teach a seminar on how to have success in publishing. Fortunately, there are many resources available to anyone who wishes to learn to write and contribute to the literature. Both of our respective publications are growing and expanding, which is always good news to report!

I am also excited to report on new changes you will see in the Journal of Dental Hygiene (JDH) starting this month. The members spoke and ADHA heard them loud and clear. This issue of the JDH represents the last one we will have in our former format. When the JDH transitioned to an online journal in 2004, we did not have many options. Now we do! More of our readers are demanding a format that is easier to access and read. HighWire Press is our new vendor and they also provide service to other well known publications such as the Journal of Dental Education and the Journal of the American Dental Association. Other exciting news is that we will be expanding the JDH so that members will have six issues per year. We are growing and our Journal is reflecting that growth.

I cannot stress how important it is for our members to read and contribute to the JDH. A profession is defined by its body of unique knowledge. The JDH is the premier publication of the American Dental Hygienists' Association and it is there to reflect changes in knowledge and research. Nelson Mandela once wrote that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” The JDH is intended to keep dental hygienists educated about evidence based practice, new techniques for clinical care of patients, new advances in education and technology and much more.

We hope that you will be as excited about the changes in the JDH as we are!

Sincerely,

Rebecca Wilder, RDH, BS, MS

Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Dental Hygiene

*   Copyright © 2013 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association