The January issue of the Journal of the California Dental Association covers cell-to-cell communication; patient and surgeon assessments of pain in oral and maxillofacial surgery; pulp response to glass ionomers in human teeth; and a special report of commercialism in dentistry.

Implications for Oral Health, Pathogenesis, and Drug Therapies
Cells "talk”— their language is chemistry, and their words are signals. They also "hear," but instead of ears, they have receptors. This article looks at what cell-cell communication developments could mean for orofacial and cranial health.
Janyce Hamilton

Comparison of Patient and Surgeon Assessments of Pain in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Pain perception is a physical sensation interpreted in the light of experience and is influenced by a great number of interacting factors. In this study, the authors prospectively compare patients’ subjective complaints of pain using the visual analog scale to the surgeons’ assessment of pain using standard history and physical examination findings.
Shahrokh C. Bagheri, DMD MD; Vincent J. Perciaccante, DDS; and Robert A. Bays, DDS

Histopathology Study on Pulp Response to Glass Ionomers in Human Teeth
The authors present an in vivo study that evaluated the histological changes in pulp as a response to light-cured resin-modified glass ionomer and compared it with a conventional glass ionomer and a calcium hydroxide lining material in deep cavities.
Majid Mousavinasab, DDS; M. Sadegh Namazikhah, DMD, MSED; Nasrin Sarabi, DDS; Hassan Hosienpour Jajarm, DDS; Maryam Bidar, DDS; and Marjaneh Ghavamnasiri, DDS

A Special Report: Beginning the Discussion of Commercialism in Dentistry
There is increasing awareness and concern over commercialism in dentistry.  There are multiple factors contributing to this trend, which has the potential for fragmenting the profession, exacerbating the access issue, and eroding the public’s confidence in dentistry. This article is a special report on these concerns.
Marcia A. Boyd, DDS, MA; Kathleen Roth, DDS; Stephen A. Ralls, DDS, EdD, MSD; David W. Chambers, EdM, MBA, PhD

The Editor/
Happy Holidays
By Alan L. Felsenfeld, DDS

Letters to the Editor/

Journal Reviewers/

Impressions/

Dr. Bob/
High Anxiety
By Robert E. Horseman, DDS