LAUSR

As the Journal of Prosthodontic Research (JPR) enters 2022, I sincerely thank all authors, reviewers and readers in our community as well as the editorial team members for their continuous support despite these difficult times in the COVID-19 pandemic. The first issue of the year provides an exciting opportunity to start something new or introduce changes. On behalf of the Editorial Committee Members, I am happy to announce that the front cover of the JPR has been renewed (Fig. 1). Along with this update, a new design has been also introduced to all articles in this issue. The simplified design based on green, the journal color, represents our commitment to a fresh start while cherishing tradition. I would like to use this opportunity to thank the public relations team of the committee, especially Dr. Sayaka Tada, for their great contribution to the renewal. The COVID-19 pandemic has unavoidably changed our life and work styles in academia, and in dental practices as well. While the pandemic is not over, a new beginning is now in sight. Compared to last year, I believe that it will be much easier for us to positively move ahead with a “new normal” in 2022. This new normal results from the establishment of evidence-based risk management of COVID-19 and the implementation of widespread vaccination, particularly for healthcare personnel. In the first issue of this year, a broad-spectrum review by Yonenaga et al. describes the characteristics of COVID-19 from a dental perspective [1]. In addition, Nagarsekar et al. provide a timely and informative letter to the editor on trends in patient attendance and complaints for prosthodontic treatments during the pre-pandemic, lockdown and unlock periods in India [2]. These articles could contribute to new standards in prosthodontics to prevent recurrences of such challenging situations for dental services in future pandemics. The pandemic has also inspired us through the emergence of digital transformation (DX), which is the process of using digital technologies to create new values. A simple example is found in web and video conferencing. We never thought before the pandemic that all social activities in academia could be conducted in digital formats. Social distancing measures have caused us naturally adapt ourselves to virtualization through technology, including not only online conferences for research and educational activities, but also teledentistry for effective exchange of clinical information over remote distances, used in consultation and treatment planning for patients [3]. Through this process, we have more clearly realized the usefulness and importance of digital databases representing clinical settings for dental healthcare and treatments. In this regard, it should be noted that prosthodontics should be one of the most suitable medical fields for DX initiatives. Indeed, current prosthodontic treatments are closely related to digital dentistry. This issue of JPR contains several topics covering digital technologies, such as digital impression [4] and computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) [5] for digital dentures, implant computer-guided surgery [6] and 3D printing [7]. In addition, a review article by Kishimoto et al. on dental applications of artificial intelligence (AI) [8] illustrates the dawning of a new era, in which digital data provide effective diagnosis and suitable treatment planning for future prosthodontic treatments. In the Editorial of the last issue, Prof. Kazuyoshi Baba, the current President of the Japan Prosthodontic Society, posited that prosthodontics could generate new value through AI analysis of patient “big data”, thus contributing to quality of life in the emerging superaged society through “database-driven prosthodontics” [9]. I do hope we will shift our mindset to recognize that the “new normal” in prosthodontics actually now provides a chance to create and accelerate a new paradigm through DX. As Editor-in-Chief, I would like to devote myself to the JPR’s contribution to new standards in step with global society as an international public asset [10]. Lastly, on behalf of the committee members, I wish you and your loved ones a happy and healthy 2022 with much professional success. Thank you for growing and building the JPR with us.