Odontology, the international and official journal of The Society of The Nippon Dental University, provides new information at a high standard of quality in all disciplines involved in the field of dentistry and cra-niofacial research, including molecular studies related to oral health and disease. To maintain that high stan-dard, all submitted manuscripts are peer-reviewed by scientists or clinical experts in the forefront of dental research and in clinics worldwide. When a member of The Society of The Nippon Dental University is included as an author, the manuscript is evaluated by peer reviewers not belonging to the Society. Each manuscript should be complete, and the submission of preliminary or inconclusive results is discouraged.  .