It seems only a few weeks ago that I sat down (with some trepidation, I must admit) to write my very first Editorial for Evidence-Based Dentistry. It is hard to believe that I am now sitting down (with equal trepidation!) to write my last. Amazingly, that first Editorial was several years ago! It just shows, time really does fly when you are having fun!

I feel so very fortunate to have had the opportunity to act as Editor for Evidence-Based Dentistry, but the time has come for me to hang up my Editorial pen. Being Editor of this journal has been a wonderful experience. Firstly, it has been enormously enjoyable. It has also been one of the most professionally satisfying things I have ever done. I have had the absolute pleasure of working with my fantastic colleagues at Springer Nature who are, frankly, simply wonderful! They were so patient in supporting me up the rather steep learning curve I encountered when I first took on the Editor position, and have continued throughout my time at the journal, to offer friendship, help when I needed it, tolerance of mistakes and a deep understanding of both the dental and publishing worlds. I cannot thank them enough, and whoever takes on the Editor role next will find the team a joy to work with. I have many thank-yous to say, but Springer Nature colleagues, I offer you my heartfelt thanks for everything you have done to assist me in my editorial journey.

The next group of people to whom I owe an enormous debt of gratitude is my exceptionally talented, outstanding and brilliantly creative Editorial Board. With their ideas, help and input, the journal has developed and diversified. In fact, so much so, that it now stands on the brink of receiving its first Impact Factor. I shall be hugely proud when that happens, and so should the Board, as it is through their efforts that this has come about. The Impact Factor will be a result of the innovations we have introduced during my time as Editor, and I trust that the Board will continue to offer the same encouragement, professional support, and enthusiastic inspiration to my successor.

And then, the people I owe the greatest thanks to—the fantastic individuals who write for the journal. These people are scientists of the first order, and yet are prepared to give up their time and expertise to analyse and distil evidence (sometimes deeply complex evidence) so that it is immediately and easily available in accessible form, to practitioners. Their role in helping to speed up the shocking time lag between proof of benefit and uptake in practice is hugely important. I cannot thank enough all the people who have written for Evidence-Based Dentistry during my tenure. It is they who make this journal what it is. I very much hope that they recognise the significant part they have played in projecting the importance and relevance of evidence to practitioners and policymakers. The authors of the commentaries and systematic reviews that we have published over the last few years should, in my view, be extremely proud of themselves.

There are two more groups of people that I need to thank. The first are my reviewers. All those people who freely, and with great integrity and honesty, give up their time to ensure the quality of the papers we publish. Reviewing is an onerous and often thankless task—but not in the case of Evidence-Based Dentistry! Dearest reviewers, please know how much you are appreciated and please accept my thanks, and those of the Springer Nature team. We are deeply grateful to you.

And now, the final group of people I wish to thank is you, the readers of Evidence-Based Dentistry. By reading this journal, you have helped me to achieve my ambition of ensuring that important evidence is available and can be utilised in everyday practice. What this journal is trying to do, is to bridge the gap between the world of research and that of everyday dentistry. Dear readers, by taking time to utilise this journal, you have helped to enhance communication between academic dentistry and dentistry in practice, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing that.

So those are my thank-yous. And now to the future.

I do not yet know who will take up the Evidence-Based Dentistry Editor baton, but whoever it may be, I wish them the very, very best and this is what I would say to them. Being Editor of Evidence-Based Dentistry is, I promise, a fabulous role. It has been a great source of both pride and satisfaction to me, though of course, there is always room for improvement! I am sure those improvements will come under your auspices. But to my mind, any contribution you can make to enhancing communication between research and practice will be worthwhile. I am not one to give advice…but if I were to do so, it would be this—listen to your Editorial Board, they are a source of much wisdom. Encourage challenge. Ask for help and advice when you need it. And, most importantly, keep believing that you can make a difference. I wish you, and the journal, all the luck in the world and look forward to seeing Evidence-Based Dentistry grow, develop and flourish in the future.