Ask a Thought Leader

Do you have questions from your studies or clinical programs?  Perhaps, you are wondering about your future path as an oral health professional?  Through the form below, you now have a rare opportunity to connect with the finest minds across the globe.

Which are your favorite resources and journals for continuing education?
Charla Apolonio, DMD; USA

Thanks, Charla, for this very interesting and important question! Continued education is needed in any field of expertise as knowledge is not static but in constant progress. However, specific aspects may influence one’s choices. Firstly, are you looking for general dentistry or for a specific area? If you are seeking more in depth information about a specific field, check those journals that are most cited and have high impact factor in that area. Usually, citation and impact factor are directly related to the relevance of information that is being provided by the journal. For example: one of my fields of interest is cariology; and, one of the most relevant publications is the journal, Caries Research, a publication linked to ORCA – the European Organization for Caries Research. By being a member of such organization, I have free access to the journal. Therefore, becoming a member of these kind of Associations can benefit your education in different ways, not only by being constantly updated (by reading the Journal), but also by allowing you to interact with your peers, which is also important.
Secondly, I would recommend the Journal of Dental Research – the official publication of the International Association of Dental Research (IADR). Once you associate, you can choose to be a member of subgroups such as Dental Materials, Radiology, and others.
Prof. Soraya Coelho Leal; Brazil