Beginning this year, in line with our new emphasis, we have promoted Dr. Neal D. Kravitz of South Riding, Virginia, from Contributing Editor to Associate Editor for Pearls. Many of us veterans see Dr. Kravitz as one of the rising stars of the profession. Over the past few years, he has been a regular contributor to JCO, as well as one of our most trusted and dependable manuscript reviewers. A frequent speaker at both regional and national orthodontic meetings, Dr. Kravitz always seems to be in high gear, a real go-getter. I'm sure our readers and Pearls contributors will find Dr. Kravitz to be as energetic, creative, and likeable as we do.
Of course, to be able to print valuable Pearls every month, we need good material. I'd like to invite any practicing orthodontist to submit a Pearl for consideration. We define a Pearl as a simple clinical or management technique that can easily be implemented by a busy orthodontic practice. It should inspire a reader to wonder, "Why didn't I think of that before?" We all enjoy seeing what our peers and colleagues are doing, and we especially enjoy learning new tricks to solve old problems. This is exactly what Pearls are all about.
Whenever I invite someone to write an article of any kind for JCO, the first question is, "How do I do that?" Our Guide for Contributors is available on our website and is printed in almost every issue, but we have developed some specific guidelines for a Pearl:
- The text should be no longer than about 300 words.
- The technique should be explained in clear, step-by-step language.
- The images should be keyed to the text with letters (A, B, C, etc.); no captions are used.
- The title should summarize the technique in as few words as possible.
- The number of authors should be kept to a minimum (one is preferred).
We recommend sending your idea to Dr. Kravitz (nealkravitz@gmail.com) before submitting your Pearl to JCO for publication. If he agrees that it's a worthwhile topic, you must transmit the finished article for peer review through our online interface at jcortho.msubmit.net. If your article is accepted, Dr. Kravitz will write a brief introduction, and you will receive a PDF proof prior to publication.
This issue contains Dr. Kravitz's first selection: "Double Traction for Lower-First-Molar Space Closure". Drs. C.A. Brierley and P.J. Sandler, both from the United Kingdom, describe a simple double-traction method that reduces the time needed for space closure and avoids undesirable side effects. You can expect to see many more Pearls like this in the months ahead, along with other improvements in editorial content based on our readership survey. I know you will both enjoy and learn a great deal from the issues to come.
RGK
