Thank you for your interest in submitting an article to the RDH family of Endeavor Business Media publications. Here you will find our submission guidelines, contact information, editorial integrity statement, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Our magazine is focused on actionable information for hygienists in many different settings. We typically prioritize facts-based writing over personal storytelling. If you have any questions about what your article should cover, please consult with Chief Editor Jackie Sanders.
Artificial intelligence use policy
Contributors must disclose their use of Generative AI tools to write or otherwise generate content that is intended for publication. No more than 20% of published content should be created by or directly derived from verbiage produced by a Generative AI tool.
If less than 20% of a piece of content (editorial or non-editorial content for publication) is created by or directly derived from verbiage produced by an Generative AI tool without substantial human editing, the AI must be cited as a source.
This should be accomplished by adding the following note to the end of the piece, in italics: This article was written with the assistance of artificial intelligence. For the avoidance of doubt, contributors should not use Generative AI to write or generate content submitted to RDH for publication in its entirety without substantial human validation, editing, or ideas.
RDH may use generative AI-detection tools to evaluate any content submitted for publication. Please note that using tools such as Grammarly to significantly rewrite your text may cause your article to be indentified as AI-written.
Disclosure of financial relationships/endorsements
We follow all United States laws and regulations regarding sponsored content disclosures. If you have an industry relationship that is relevant to the content you're writing about, please let us know.
Please also let us know if you have been paid by a third party to write about a particular product, or have received product for free to review.
Products or websites can be mentioned for educational/informational purposes. This is especially true if it helps the reader understand how to use a particular product in a procedure or case study.
References, citations, and editorial integrity
Plagiarism and copyright infringement are serious legal and ethical issues.
We require authors to cite sources of external material. Please consult your editor if there are any questions about properly referencing information from sources.
The preferred citation style of the Endeavor Business Media Dental Group follows American Medical Association guidelines.
How to submit an article
E-mail your article in a Word document to Chief Editor Jackie Sanders ([email protected]).
Deadlines
For print publication, articles are generally due two months in advance of the publication date (e.g., articles for publication in the June issue are due April 1). For digital deadlines, please consult with your editorial contact.
Article formatting
Please follow the formatting guidelines below. Articles that are not in this format will be considered incomplete and may be delayed indefinitely for review. See the end of these guidelines for an example.
- 12-point, simple type (e.g., Times New Roman)
- 1” margins
- One space after periods
- Double spacing
- At the top of the article, include author name(s) with credentials (RDH, MS, etc.)
- At the top of the article, include your email address, mailing address, and phone number
- Include your bio at the end of the article (details below)
Author bio and photo
Along with your article, please submit a short bio (75 words or fewer) along with a professional high-resolution headshot (optional). These will be included at the end of your article. Headshots are not included with digital content.
Article length (word count)
- If you plan on submitting an article longer than 1,250 words, including references, please clear it with the chief editor or editorial director first. Any article submitted over this length without prior discussion may be sent back for shortening or rejected.
- Articles that include a photo series are very successful. These include articles that are clinical in nature.
- As a rule of thumb, keep things focused and condensed. Rambling articles do not hold readers for very long.
- Do not send articles that are structured like a long list of bullet points. This is usually an indication that the article needs further development and revision, and it may be returned to you for revision before being accepted.
Photos, figures, and artwork
Submission of original photos with your article is highly encouraged. Submit high-resolution photos when possible. If files are too large to e-mail (over 10 MB), please compress the files or set up a dropbox for file transfer (e.g., dropbox.com).
Stock images: Usually, we cannot republish images you have purchased for your own use from sites such as Shutterstock. Our staff has access to a large library of such images. Unfortunately clinically accurate images are hard to come by in stock photos. If your article requires something like this, it is best if you can take it yourself.
AI generated images: Some AI-generated images may be allowed, with editor approval. Please refer any questions to editorial staff.
If you are not the copyright holder of your images, you are responsible for requesting permission from the copyright holder to reproduce the image. You are also responsible for obtaining releases from any patient who appears in photos or radiographs, even if he or she is not readily identifiable.
Please email Editorial Director Amelia DeStefano at [email protected] with any questions about copyright permissions.
Honorariums
Some articles will receive honorariums. Honorariums are usually reserved for research-based articles. Payment varies from $250 to $350. Payments are not made until after the publication of the article. The payment timeline will be stated in the contributor agreement.
RDH has a limited budget for honorariums each month. We devote these funds to articles that help us achieve or editorial and business goals. Articles that are otherwise valuable to the profession are still published, but not financially compensated.
House style
All content that is not purely advertorial will be edited according to our in-house style. Our style is a set of rules that we have developed over time that create consistency, improve readability, and preserve editorial integrity. Examples of important style points include:
Styling of company and product names
Company and product names often have special formatting that is meant to add to marketing appeal. However, our style is to use basic spelling and grammar rules to dictate how names are presented. We have found that this consistent among major journals and, in the end, gives stronger editorial credibility. Also, we do not publish trademark symbols or registration marks, which are only necessary in marketing materials.
Examples:
Submitted Name Edited Name
SCULPT Cement™ Sculpt Cement
DENTSPLY Dentsply
SUPERbond™ Superbond
Flowable smooth+ Flowable Smooth+
digi-impression Digi-impression
DATAtech Inc. Datatech Inc.
If a word is in all caps because it is an acronym, we do not edit it. Examples include DEXIS, CEREC, and GLO.
We consider the following case of an "acronym" to be marketing:
EQUATE Everyday use
Quick drying
Use multiple times
Always efficient
Time-saving
Easy application
Therefore, EQUATE becomes Equate.
Signed contributor agreement
We cannot publish any articles until you have completed our contributor agreement, which your editorial contact will provide for you. Authors usually retain copyright of their work. Please closely review your contributor agreement before signing.
Exclusivity
All submissions must be original works and not published elsewhere. We do not repost previously published articles.
Approval process
The editors of RDH work with the RDH Advisory Board in deciding whether your article will be published. You will be notified within approximately one month of submitting your article about its status (accepted/declined).
Where will your article be published?
We have many channels for our content, of which the print magazine is only one. All magazine articles are posted to our website, rdhmag.com, and may be circulated in our e-newsletters. Articles initially accepted for digital publication may be posted to DentistryIQ (dentistryiq.com). Sometimes articles initially published digitally are sometimes republished in the magazine.
Additional publication opportunities
The DentistryIQ Network includes DentistryIQ, Dental Economics, RDH magazine, and Perio-Implant Advisory. Many RDH authors have gone on to write successfully for our other publications. So, if you are interested in furthering your career through publication, you are in the right place!
Other key contacts
Group editorial director: Amelia Williamson DeStefano | [email protected]
Sample Article Submission
Diabetes and oral health: The importance of maintaining optimum oral health
By Erin Stelbrink
Author Contact Info: [email protected], 12345 Dental Drive, Chicago, IL, 34567, (555) 987-1234
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), diabetes is the seventh leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. (1) Dental or oral infections in a patient with diabetes can frequently lead to loss of control over the diabetic condition. Oral complexities of diabetes include periodontal disease, tooth decay, salivary dysfunction, and pathologic changes. This article will review diabetes and oral health.
Uncontrolled bacteria production resulting in oral inflammation and infection can result in mobile teeth. Uncontrolled diabetes can result in enhanced inflammation, delayed healing of wounds, and changes to large and small blood vessels. (2) Failure to reverse these adverse effects by managing diabetes can lead to periodontal disease. This risk directly relates to fasting blood glucose levels. Patients with diabetes have a hyperactive inflammatory response and the bacterial challenge of a periodontal infection results in exaggerated inflammation and periodontal tissue destruction. Over time, this can lead to loose teeth, and eventually tooth loss. (2)
Tooth dehydration is one of the causes of tooth decay. Like our hair, skin and other organs, our teeth can undergo dehydration. (3) Symptoms of tooth dehydration are dry mouth and tooth sensitivity. Those with diabetes who are experiencing hyperglycemia will likely also experience tooth dehydration because hyperglycemia leads to glucose excretion in the urine. Due to the loss of fluids saliva production will slow causing dry mouth, which will result in tooth dehydration. Another review was able to identify associations both between saliva and dental disease and between saliva and dehydration. (4) However, the exact meaning of these associations remains to be fully explained.
Dry mouth in those with and without diabetes will lead to tooth decay because saliva neutralizes and clean acids produced by bacteria, which creates a balanced pH and prevents the destruction of tooth enamel. If the production of bacteria accelerates faster than saliva due to dry mouth, colonization of bacteria will inevitably damage tooth structure. Repeated damage to the tooth structure results in tooth decay.
Manifestations of several life-threatening diseases appear in the mouth, including diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends screening tests for diabetes mellitus for all persons 45 and older. (5) Those with risks such as obesity and a family history belonging to ethnic or minority groups are also at risk for diabetes. Recent medical research demonstrated that on average, people who maintain healthy oral hygiene home care habits live 10 years longer than those who do not. Those with uninhibited diabetes may require hospitalization until the infection is under control. (6) Establishing regular dental visits for checkups and cleanings will significantly lower the risk of oral complications.
Biography
Erin Stelbrink is a licensed dental hygienist with 5+ years of experience as an oral health care provider and leads research and program development for Wellbrink.com. She serves as a pioneer in developing programs that improve patient care while generating additional revenue for hygienists. For more information, email her at [email protected] or visit www.wellbrink.com.
References
1. Johnson NB, Hayes LD, Brown K, Hoo EC, Ethier KA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC National Health Report: Leading Causes of Morbidity and Mortality and Associated Behavioral Risk and Protective Factors—United States, 2005–2013. MMWR Surveill Summ. 63(Suppl 4);3-27.
2. Slim LH, Stegeman CA. Diabetes: A Multifaceted Syndrome Treatment Considerations in Dentistry. Dentalcare.com. http://www.dentalcare.com/media/en-US/education/ce93/ce93.pdf. Accessed September 7, 2015.
3. Chan W. Tooth Dehydration During Teeth Whitening in London. Dr. Wyman Chan website. http://www.drwymanchan.com/blog/tooth-dehydration-during-teeth-whitening/. Accessed August 27, 2015.
4. Smith AJ, Shaw L. Mild dehydration: a risk factor for dental disease? Eur J Clin Nutr. 2003;57(Suppl 2):S75–S80. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601905.
5. Patel P, Macerollo A. Diabetes Mellitus: Diagnosis and Screening. Am Fam Physician. 2010;81:863-870.
6. Stelbrink E. Diabetes and Oral Health. Endever. http://www.endevr.com/diabetes/Diabetes-and-Oral-Health. Published March 10, 2015. Accessed September 16, 2015.