Founding Editor-In-Chief, Editor Emeritus

It’s hard to believe that it is 35 years since I first took on the challenge of becoming the founding editor of the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry. I recently looked through my library and realized the tremendous growth of the publication from Vol. 1, No. 1 in 1980. It was a fascinating period of trying to interest dental professionals in obtaining some of their needed continuing education credits through reading a journal and answering test questions. We did succeed in reaching a significant group of readers, most of whom were complimentary about the quality of the articles and the publication itself.

I am very grateful to our authors for their valuable contributions to Compendium over the years, and I remember well how we jumped from being a quarterly journal to a monthly. I am also proud of the many crucial manuscripts we published that became classic contributions to the field of dental medicine. Lastly, it was a privilege to work with the various publishing staff members who were devoted to continuing to keep Compendium a high-quality publication.

D. Walter Cohen, DDS

Editor-In-Chief

It is with great pride that we mark the 35th anniversary of the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry. Throughout the years, Compendium has maintained a tradition of excellence that has made this journal a trusted resource for the dental profession. As an accredited CE provider, Compendium has played an immeasurable role in the education and advancement of the dental community by attracting outstanding contributions from authors from around the world. In recent years, the number of vital manuscripts submitted has increased considerably, signifying this peer-reviewed journal’s positive influence and the respect the profession has for it.

As the current Editor-In-Chief, I have been given a wonderful opportunity to make a difference in our profession by following and advancing the mission that was started 35 years ago—to improve dental health by identifying scientifically sound evidence and presenting it in a well-reasoned and rational context. Although the mission of Compendium is the same today, the format of the journal has been modernized, sections have been added, and a stronger interdisciplinary focus is emphasized. Today, the journal provides a forum that affords collaboration between the specialties—periodontists and restorative dentists working together to improve the future of dentistry.

Dental education is my priority, one that I share with the administrators of Compendium. Following in the footsteps of my predecessor, Dr. D. Walter Cohen, I am honored and privileged to be able to reach out to all of you, our readers. I am confident Compendium will continue to thrive because we all believe in its mission and will work hard to ensure its relevance for future generations.

Louis F. Rose, DDS, MD

Co-Editor-In-Chief

I fondly remember receiving my first issue of Compendium some 35 years ago. For me, that inaugural edition represented a significant breakthrough in dental publishing by incorporating interdisciplinary care commensurate with a systemic and oral healthcare link. Always maintaining a standard of excellence, the Compendium over the years has been—and continues to be—a trusted resource for clinicians by creating a unique blend of evidence-based science and practical application.

As Co-Editor-In-Chief of Compendium, I am proud and privileged to be able to help continue and advance the goals that were started almost a generation ago by Dr. D. Walter Cohen. The basic mission of the journal has remained true to those early days, providing the highest quality content for continuing dental education to general dentists and specialists worldwide, yet Compendium has improved with the times, updating its look and offering self-study CE online. I appreciate the collaboration of a dedicated staff that works tirelessly to maintain the quality of the journal. In addition, the contributions of the countless authors who have shared their knowledge throughout the decades have helped make Compendium what it is today.

Because I am determined to help educate the dental community, it is an honor to be part of the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry family.

John C. Kois, DMD, MSD

“The Concept & Timing Were Perfect”

Early in my career, the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry arrived on the scene as the new journal in dentistry. The Compendium, as it became known, was dedicated to helping dentists and the dental profession keep up-to-date through timely and relevant articles that would provide continuing dental education credit for its readers. The idea of the Compendium was the brainchild of Dr. D. Walter Cohen, the founding Editor-In-Chief, and the concept and timing were perfect, as dentistry needed a journal with an educational focus.

Over the years the Compendium has always provided what it was founded to do. It easily and quickly emerged as a major contributor to new knowledge in the profession and has long been particularly effective in presenting reviews and updates for its readers at just the right time.

From the beginning the Compendium attracted world-class authors to fill the journal with the latest advances in dentistry. Along the way the Compendium began to publish important supplements and proceedings of symposia and conferences that, in addition to the regular reports, became a valuable resource for practicing clinicians, educators, and investigators. In recent years, the journal has published proceedings/supplements from such prestigious meetings as the American Academy of Periodontology’s Spring conferences, the International Congress on Adhesive Dentistry, and the Middle East Symposium in Dental Medicine.

The Compendium hit the deck running in 1980 and has never looked back. And so I would say “lucky me” to have had this special dental journal as a resource for the past 35 years. I now look forward to the next 35.

Ray C. Williams, DMD

“The ‘Go-to’ Journal for the Dental Practitioner”

The Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry has been one of the hallmark publications in the dental profession for decades. It was the first publication to focus on using its printed medium to facilitate continuing education (CE) specifically. The journal emphasized “lifelong learning” well before lifelong learning was in vogue. Compendium promoted education through understanding of the scholarly literature.

The publication has always sought to publish a wide array of papers and topics spanning the field of the dental profession, from translation of basic science into clinical practice, to the implementation of the newest technologies into clinical practice. For these reasons, Compendium has been the “go-to” journal for many clinicians around the world seeking a source of the latest information pertinent to the dental practitioner. Its continuing education focus remains stalwart today, and as a leader in the dental publications arena, Compendium has stimulated other publications to evolve to also offer CE.

Although Compendium itself has changed in many ways over the years, continually upgrading both the quality of its peer-reviewed content and the overall appearance of the journal, it remains a focal point of attention among authors and practitioners alike as an important venue to share the latest science, clinical practice techniques, and implementation of technology into clinical practice.

Joel H. Berg, DDS, MS

The Journal: “Like a Trusted Friend”

It is with genuine personal interest that I extend my congratulations to the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry for celebrating 35 years of service to the dental community. Having graduated from dental school in 1981, the issues of Compendium that came to my office over the years have played a significant role in my education and evolution as a private practitioner. Like a trusted friend it was always there, offering a perfect blend of evidenced-based and practical clinical application information.

I thank all of the editors, reviewers, and especially the authors who have shared their expertise, spending countless hours writing and fashioning valuable manuscripts that have helped me practice. Today, the journal shares that same purpose and, as a trusted, peer-reviewed publication, it may be even more important in this world of information overload.

As the Restorative Section Editor for Compendium, I am humbly and keenly aware of the great tradition that has been established over the past 35 years. Knowing how Compendium guided me, I embrace its mission very personally and pledge with commitment to work hard with its dedicated staff to continue to provide valuable information for the members of the dental profession. It is truly an honor to be part of the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry family.

Michael R. Sesemann, DDS

“An Important Avenue for Communication”

As a dental student in the early 1980s, I fondly remember those first issues of the Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry as a new, refreshing, and inspirational clinical journal that displayed dental therapeutic excellence. The emphasis on education was not subtly implied by its CE quizzes, and its merit was displayed by typically well-referenced and peer-reviewed content. Over the years, we have seen the journal transformed and enhanced in style, but it has remained true to its original intent—identifying scientifically sound evidence and presenting it in a reasoned, rational context.

Today’s Compendium represents an important avenue for communication of relevant information to the broadest audience of dental clinicians. Its growth and sustained prominence among clinical dental journals is a testament to its value. Compendium offers a key forum for conveying significant advances, thoughtful opinion, and vital facts to dentists worldwide.

In the current climate where evidence-based dentistry plays an important role in guiding our clinical decision-making, we are fortunate that well-informed, leading clinicians have an inspirational format to teach these principles that underscore clinical dentistry excellence worldwide.

Lyndon Cooper, DDS, PhD

“An Exception Among Dental Journals”

It is interesting to observe the current trends of some dental schools that are strongly shifting their primary focus to their stature in the scientific world, while others seem to place their entire emphasis solely on clinical skills. There is common concern about both extremes, as our profession and education necessitates a combination of sound scientific research and clinical excellence to serve our patients in the best and most ethical manner.

The dichotomy in our academic world has also manifested itself in the literature. Our most highly acclaimed scientific journals typically have their readership outside of the world of clinical realities, and many more clinically oriented journals have difficulty avoiding being viewed as non-scientific bullhorns for commercial interests.

The Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry, meanwhile, is and always has been an exception. For several decades now, the Compendium has weathered the temptations from both of these extremes and kept the course of disseminating in-depth scientific knowledge in combination with clinical excellence, presented by true and undisputed leaders in our field. Heartfelt congratulations go out to the founders of Compendium and to all who have since taken the baton and continued the great success of this winning formula. My sincere hope is that this course will be maintained into the future, and my wish is for the Compendium to continue as a guiding light for our beloved profession.

Markus B. Blatz, DMD, PhD

“An Excellent Source of Knowledge for Any Dentist”

The Compendium is a lot more than just a compendium… The dictionary defines “compendium” as a concise or short summary of a larger work or a field of knowledge. The Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry, however, is so much more. The journal, which I began receiving and reading 35 years ago when it was first published, started out as a means of obtaining continuing education (CE) credits by reading articles and answering multiple-choice questions. While the CE credits still apply, Compendium’s articles are in and of themselves an excellent source of knowledge for any dentist in clinical practice.

The articles allow readers to evaluate materials, procedures, or techniques (new or old), stressing clinical aspects so readers can easily understand and incorporate them into their practices and achieve better outcomes. The journal has also long published valuable supplemental issues, in addition to the regular monthly issues, that concentrate on one timely subject. Many of these supplementary journals present proceedings of symposiums and conferences that are a valuable adjunct to those who could not attend, or serve as a resource for those who did attend and wish to have a reminder of salient points of a presentation.

Whether you are a specialist or general practitioner, there is rarely an article contained in the Compendium that won’t help you gain a broader knowledge of the field of clinical dentistry. I look forward to the next 35 years of reading the Compendium and congratulate all of its editors, from Dr. D. Walter Cohen to Dr. Louis Rose, on its success and contribution to dentistry.

Stuart J. Froum, DDS, PC