Submissions

Author Guidelines

1. General Information

TUMI Oral Health invites researchers, clinicians, educators, and other members of the international academic and scientific community to submit original and high-quality manuscripts in dental sciences, oral health, and related fields.

All submissions are initially screened by the editorial team to determine whether they:

• fall within the journal’s aims and scope;

• meet the minimum scientific and ethical requirements;

• comply with these Author Guidelines;

• are written in sufficiently clear academic English;

• include all mandatory submission files and declarations.

Manuscripts that do not satisfy these requirements may be returned for technical correction or rejected without external peer review.

Manuscripts that pass the initial editorial assessment undergo double-anonymous peer review by at least two independent reviewers with relevant subject expertise. The journal does not guarantee manuscript acceptance or a fixed peer-review or publication time.

Editorial decisions are based exclusively on scientific relevance, methodological rigor, originality, ethical compliance, clarity of presentation, and the reviewers’ recommendations. Payment of an Article Processing Charge or the granting of a waiver or discount has no influence on editorial decisions.

---

2. Originality and Exclusive Submission

Submitted manuscripts must:

• constitute original work;

• not have been formally published in another journal;

• not be under simultaneous consideration by another journal;

• not substantially duplicate another work by the same or different authors;

• appropriately acknowledge and cite all sources, data, methods, instruments, software, and previously published material.

Authors must obtain written permission to reproduce copyrighted content, including figures, tables, photographs, questionnaires, scales, instruments, datasets, or extensive extracts from other publications.

Submission of a manuscript confirms that all authors have reviewed and approved the submitted version and agree with its consideration by TUMI Oral Health.

---

3. Preprints

Manuscripts previously deposited in a recognized preprint server may be considered for publication.

Preprint deposition is not regarded as prior publication. However, authors must:

• disclose the existence of the preprint during submission;

• provide its DOI or persistent URL;

• identify the preprint server;

• inform the journal of any subsequent changes to the preprint record.

Following publication, authors should update the preprint record with the complete citation and DOI of the Version of Record published by TUMI Oral Health.

Posting a manuscript on a personal website, institutional repository, or preprint server does not exempt authors from complying with the journal’s originality and ethical requirements.

---

4. Submission Language

All manuscripts and supplementary files must be submitted in English.

Manuscripts must be written in clear, grammatically correct, and academically appropriate English at the time of submission. Manuscripts whose language prevents adequate scientific evaluation may be returned for language revision before editorial assessment or peer review.

Language editing does not guarantee acceptance. Authors remain responsible for the accuracy and meaning of the final text.

---

5. Mandatory Submission Files

Authors may use the official templates available on the journal website to facilitate manuscript preparation. Use of the templates is recommended but not mandatory, provided that the submission includes all elements required by these Guidelines.

Regardless of whether a template is used, two separate files are mandatory:

1. Title Page.
2. Blinded Main Manuscript.

5.1. Title Page

The Title Page must contain:

• complete manuscript title;

• short running title, when requested;

• full name of every author;

• institutional affiliation of every author;

• department, institution, city, and country;

• ORCID iD of every author;

• email address of every author;

• clear identification of the corresponding author;

• complete contact details of the corresponding author;

• acknowledgments;

• funding information;

• conflict-of-interest declaration;

• author contribution statement using CRediT;

• ethics approval information, when applicable;

• clinical trial registration information, when applicable;

• data availability statement.

The official English name of an institution should be used when available. When no official English name exists, the original institutional name should be retained.

5.2. Blinded Main Manuscript

The Main Manuscript must contain the complete scientific text without information that could reveal the identity of the authors or their institutions.

Authors must remove:

• author names;

• affiliations;

• email addresses;

• ORCID identifiers;

• acknowledgments identifying individuals or institutions;

• self-identifying statements;

• document properties containing author information.

References to the authors’ previous work should be written in the third person and cited in the same manner as other references.

Submissions that do not contain both mandatory files may be returned for technical correction before editorial evaluation.

---

6. Authorship

TUMI Oral Health applies the authorship criteria established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

Each author must satisfy all of the following conditions:

1. Make a substantial contribution to the conception or design of the study; acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data; or another substantive scientific component.

2. Participate in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content.

3. Approve the final version to be published.

4. Accept responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the work.

The journal does not establish a fixed maximum number of authors. Nevertheless, the number of authors must be justified by the design, complexity, and conduct of the study.

The editorial team may request:

• a detailed justification of authorship;

• confirmation of individual contributions;

• written approval for changes in authorship;

• clarification regarding honorary, guest, or ghost authorship.

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not meet the authorship criteria must be mentioned in the Acknowledgments section, subject to their permission.

No fee is charged according to the number of authors.

---

7. ORCID

A valid ORCID iD is mandatory for every author.

Each ORCID must:

• belong to the named author;

• be entered in the OJS metadata;

• appear on the Title Page;

• be provided in the standard format:
  https://orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000

Authors are responsible for ensuring that their ORCID profiles contain accurate and current information.

---

8. Types of Manuscripts Accepted

8.1. Original Research Articles

Clinical, experimental, epidemiological, public health, laboratory, diagnostic, educational, or methodological studies presenting original findings relevant to dentistry or oral health.

Maximum length: 5,000 words, excluding abstract, references, tables, figure legends, and supplementary material.

8.2. Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Structured and reproducible syntheses of scientific evidence using an explicit search strategy, predefined eligibility criteria, transparent study selection, and formal assessment of methodological quality or risk of bias.

Systematic reviews must follow PRISMA and should report a prospective registration number, such as PROSPERO, when applicable.

Maximum length: 5,000 words, excluding abstract, references, tables, figure legends, and supplementary material.

8.3. Case Reports

Clinically relevant reports that provide meaningful educational, diagnostic, therapeutic, ethical, or scientific value.

Case reports must:

• follow the CARE reporting guideline;

• identify the article as a case report in the title;

• include written informed consent for publication;

• protect patient privacy and confidentiality;

• avoid unnecessary identifying details;

• include a concise and critical discussion of the relevant literature.

Maximum length: 3,000 words.

8.4. Letters to the Editor

Brief scholarly comments concerning articles published in TUMI Oral Health or relevant matters in dental and oral health research.

Letters must be concise, evidence-based, and professionally written.

Maximum length: 800 words.

Letters are initially evaluated by the editorial team. External review may be requested when a letter includes original data, substantive methodological criticism, or scientific claims requiring specialist assessment.

8.5. Methodological and Technical Articles

Articles describing, validating, comparing, or critically evaluating research methods, clinical techniques, laboratory procedures, instruments, diagnostic approaches, software, or protocols already implemented and assessed in oral health research.

These articles must provide evidence of methodological or clinical relevance and must not consist solely of a description of an untested proposal.

Maximum length: 5,000 words.

Manuscript types not currently accepted

TUMI Oral Health does not currently accept:

• unsolicited narrative reviews;

• research protocols;

• proposals for special issues;

• proposals for supplements;

• manuscripts submitted under the management of guest editors.

---

9. Reporting Guidelines

Authors must follow the reporting guideline appropriate to the study design.

Examples include:

• observational studies: STROBE;

• randomized clinical trials: CONSORT;

• systematic reviews and meta-analyses: PRISMA;

• case reports: CARE;

• diagnostic accuracy studies: STARD;

• qualitative studies: COREQ;

• prediction model studies: TRIPOD;

• animal studies: ARRIVE;

• economic evaluations: CHEERS.

The relevant reporting guideline must be named in the Methods section.

The corresponding checklist and flow diagram, when applicable, must be uploaded as supplementary files.

Use of a reporting guideline does not replace the need to provide a complete and transparent description of the study methods.

---

10. General Manuscript Requirements

• Language: English.

• File format: DOC or DOCX.

• Maximum main manuscript file size: 10 MB.

• Title: preferably no more than 20 words.

• Abstract: according to manuscript type.

• Keywords: 3 to 6 terms selected from MeSH whenever applicable.

• References: Vancouver/AMA style.

• Tables and figures in the main manuscript: maximum of six combined.

• Additional tables, figures, appendices, checklists, datasets, or methodological material must be submitted as supplementary material.

• Pages must be numbered consecutively.

• Continuous line numbering is recommended.

• Abbreviations must be defined at first use.

• International System of Units should be used whenever applicable.

• Generic names should be preferred for drugs and products. Commercial names may be included in parentheses when scientifically necessary.

---

11. Abstract and Keywords

11.1. Original Research Articles

A structured abstract of no more than 250 words using the following headings:

• Background

• Objective

• Methods

• Results

• Conclusions

11.2. Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

A structured abstract of no more than 250 words using:

• Background

• Objective

• Methods

• Results

• Conclusions

The registration number must be included when applicable.

11.3. Methodological and Technical Articles

A structured abstract of no more than 250 words using headings appropriate to the study, preferably:

• Background

• Objective

• Methods

• Results

• Conclusions

11.4. Case Reports

An unstructured abstract of no more than 200 words.

11.5. Letters to the Editor

An abstract is not required.

Keywords

All manuscripts requiring an abstract must include 3 to 6 keywords.

Authors should use Medical Subject Headings from the United States National Library of Medicine whenever appropriate. Keywords must not merely repeat words already contained in the title unless no suitable alternative exists.

---

12. Structure of Original Research Articles

Original research articles should generally contain:

1. Title

2. Abstract

3. Keywords

4. Introduction

5. Materials and Methods

6. Results

7. Discussion

8. Conclusions

9. Author Contributions

10. Acknowledgments

11. Funding

12. Conflicts of Interest

13. Ethics Approval

14. Informed Consent

15. Data Availability

16. References

17. Tables

18. Figure Legends

19. Supplementary Material statement, when applicable

At the end of the Introduction, authors must clearly state:

• the study objective;

• the scientific or clinical justification;

• the hypothesis, when applicable.

Methods must contain sufficient information to permit evaluation, replication, and reproducibility.

Results must be presented without unnecessary repetition between text, tables, and figures.

Discussion must interpret the findings in relation to the available evidence, acknowledge limitations, and avoid conclusions unsupported by the results.

---

13. Tables and Figures

A maximum of six tables and figures combined may appear in the main manuscript.

For example:

• 3 tables and 3 figures;

• 4 tables and 2 figures;

• 1 table and 5 figures.

Additional tables and figures must be uploaded as supplementary material.

Tables

Tables must:

• be editable and not submitted as images;

• be numbered consecutively;

• have a concise and informative title;

• include explanatory footnotes when required;

• define all abbreviations;

• avoid duplicating information already presented in the text or figures.

Figures

Figures must:

• be numbered consecutively;

• be cited in the text;

• include a complete legend;

• have sufficient resolution for publication;

• be uploaded as separate high-quality files when requested;

• avoid unnecessary decorative elements;

• use legible labels and consistent typography.

Photographs, radiographs, histological images, and clinical images must not contain information that identifies participants unless scientifically necessary and explicitly authorized by written consent.

Graphs and diagrams should be exported as high-resolution or vector files. Screenshots or figures copied and pasted directly from spreadsheet software are not acceptable as final publication files.

Authors must obtain permission for previously published tables or figures and include the appropriate attribution.

Image manipulation that changes, obscures, adds, removes, or misrepresents scientifically relevant information is prohibited. Any legitimate adjustment must be applied consistently to the entire image and disclosed when necessary.

---

14. Supplementary Material

Supplementary material may include:

• additional tables or figures;

• reporting checklists;

• search strategies;

• questionnaires;

• data dictionaries;

• statistical code;

• protocols;

• appendices;

• multimedia files;

• other materials necessary to support transparency or reproducibility.

Supplementary files must be clearly named and cited in the main manuscript.

Supplementary material is subject to editorial and peer review. Authors remain responsible for its accuracy, copyright status, confidentiality, and ethical compliance.

---

15. Author Contributions: CRediT

All manuscripts must include an individual Author Contributions statement based on the Contributor Roles Taxonomy.

The recognized roles are:

• Conceptualization

• Methodology

• Software

• Validation

• Formal Analysis

• Investigation

• Resources

• Data Curation

• Writing – Original Draft

• Writing – Review & Editing

• Visualization

• Supervision

• Project Administration

• Funding Acquisition

Each author must be identified by initials and assigned only the roles that accurately reflect their contribution.

Example:

JAL: Conceptualization, Methodology, Formal Analysis, Writing – Original Draft, Supervision. MEEG: Investigation, Data Curation, Validation, Visualization. XYZ: Resources, Project Administration, Funding Acquisition, Writing – Review & Editing.

The following statement must be included:

All authors critically reviewed the intellectual content, approved the final version of the manuscript, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

CRediT roles describe contributions but do not replace the ICMJE authorship criteria.

---

16. Acknowledgments

Individuals who contributed to the work but do not qualify for authorship may be acknowledged.

Acknowledgments may include:

• technical support;

• administrative assistance;

• language editing;

• statistical advice;

• institutional support;

• access to facilities or equipment.

Authors must obtain permission from individuals named in this section.

Generative artificial intelligence tools, software, or automated systems must not be acknowledged as authors.

---

17. Funding

Authors must identify all financial and material support received for the research and publication.

The statement must include, when applicable:

• funder name;

• grant or project number;

• role of the funder in the study;

• institutional or commercial support;

• provision of equipment, products, materials, or services.

When no specific funding was received, authors should state:

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

---

18. Conflicts of Interest

Every manuscript must include a conflict-of-interest statement.

Authors must disclose financial and non-financial relationships that could reasonably be perceived as influencing the research, interpretation, or publication of the findings.

Potential conflicts include:

• employment;

• consultancies;

• honoraria;

• grants;

• stock ownership;

• patents;

• personal relationships;

• institutional roles;

• professional rivalries;

• editorial positions.

When no conflict exists, authors should state:

The authors declare no financial or non-financial conflicts of interest related to this work.

An author who holds an editorial role in TUMI Oral Health must disclose that role. Such manuscripts will be handled independently, and the author-editor will not participate in reviewer selection, access confidential review information, or influence the editorial decision.

---

19. Ethical Approval

Research involving human participants, identifiable clinical information, human biological material, medical or dental records, or health-related data must have prior approval from a recognized research ethics committee, unless a formal exemption applies.

The manuscript must state:

• full name of the ethics committee;

• affiliated institution;

• approval number or code;

• approval date or year;

• relevant ethical standards followed.

A general statement such as “the study was approved by the institutional ethics committee” is insufficient when an approval number or formal documentation exists.

When formal ethics approval was not required, authors must explain the legal or institutional basis for the exemption. The journal may request written confirmation from the responsible committee or institution.

Studies involving animals must report:

• the approving animal ethics committee;

• protocol or approval number;

• applicable animal welfare standards;

• measures taken to minimize pain and distress.

The journal reserves the right to reject manuscripts that do not provide adequate evidence of ethical oversight.

---

20. Informed Consent and Participant Privacy

Authors must state how informed consent was obtained when research involves human participants.

For participants who are minors, the manuscript must report, when applicable:

• consent from a parent or legal guardian;

• assent from the participating minor.

Case reports, photographs, radiographs, videos, and other potentially identifying clinical material require written informed consent for publication.

Removing a participant’s name does not necessarily guarantee anonymity. Authors must remove or mask all unnecessary identifying information.

Consent for participation in a study is distinct from consent to publish identifiable information. Both must be obtained when applicable.

---

21. Clinical Trial Registration

Clinical trials must be prospectively registered in a publicly accessible registry recognized by the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform or the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors.

The following information must appear in the abstract and Methods section:

• registry name;

• registration number;

• registration date.

Clinical trials conducted in Peru must also provide the registration number assigned by the Peruvian Clinical Trials Registry of the Instituto Nacional de Salud when applicable.

Retrospectively registered clinical trials are not ordinarily accepted. Exceptional consideration requires a detailed justification and does not guarantee editorial review or acceptance.

Clinical trial manuscripts must follow CONSORT and submit the corresponding checklist and participant flow diagram.

---

22. Data Availability and Research Materials

Every manuscript must include a Data Availability statement.

Authors should deposit the data supporting their findings in an appropriate public repository whenever ethical, legal, contractual, and confidentiality conditions permit.

The statement must identify:

• repository name;

• dataset title;

• DOI or persistent identifier;

• access conditions;

• applicable license.

Datasets, software, statistical code, protocols, questionnaires, and other research materials used or generated in the study must be cited and referenced using persistent identifiers whenever available.

When public sharing is not possible, authors must explain the reason, such as:

• participant confidentiality;

• ethics committee restrictions;

• legal restrictions;

• contractual limitations;

• protection of sensitive or Indigenous data;

• risk of participant re-identification.

Acceptable statements may include:

The data supporting the findings of this study are available in [repository], at [DOI or persistent URL].

or:

The data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request, subject to approval by the responsible institution and applicable ethical and confidentiality restrictions.

A statement that data are unavailable without explanation may be considered insufficient.

---

23. Artificial Intelligence and Automated Tools

Artificial intelligence and automated tools cannot be listed as authors because they cannot assume responsibility for the integrity, accuracy, or originality of a manuscript.

Authors may use automated tools for basic spelling, grammar, formatting, or language improvement. Use of generative artificial intelligence beyond routine language correction must be disclosed.

The disclosure should identify:

• tool name;

• version, when known;

• purpose of use;

• section or task for which it was used;

• steps taken by the authors to verify the output.

Authors remain fully responsible for:

• factual accuracy;

• originality;

• citation integrity;

• absence of fabricated references;

• protection of confidential data;

• compliance with copyright and ethical standards.

Generative AI must not be cited as a scientific authority or primary source.

Authors must not upload confidential participant information, unpublished third-party material, protected datasets, or copyrighted content to an AI platform without appropriate authorization.

Reviewers and editors are prohibited from uploading confidential manuscripts or review materials to generative AI systems. Editorial decisions and peer-review reports must not be delegated to artificial intelligence.

---

24. Similarity Screening and Research Misconduct

All research manuscripts undergo routine similarity screening during the initial editorial assessment. A second screening may be conducted before final acceptance.

Results are interpreted by qualified editors, and no decision is made solely on the basis of an automated similarity percentage.

The journal investigates suspected:

• plagiarism;

• self-plagiarism or text recycling;

• duplicate or redundant publication;

• data fabrication;

• data falsification;

• inappropriate image manipulation;

• citation manipulation;

• undisclosed conflicts of interest;

• authorship misconduct;

• peer-review manipulation;

• paper-mill activity;

• other forms of research or publication misconduct.

When concerns arise, the journal may request:

• original datasets;

• ethics documentation;

• consent forms;

• laboratory records;

• statistical output;

• image files;

• authorship confirmation;

• institutional clarification.

Cases are managed in accordance with the journal’s Publication Ethics and Malpractice Policy and applicable COPE guidance.

---

25. References

References must follow Vancouver/AMA style and be numbered consecutively according to their first appearance in the text.

In-text citations must be placed in square brackets:

[1]
[2,3]
[4-7]

References cited only in tables or figure legends must follow the sequence established by the first mention of the table or figure in the main text.

Authors must:

• verify every reference against the original source;

• include all authors as required by the journal’s reference style;

• use official journal abbreviations when available;

• provide volume, issue, pages, or electronic article number;

• include the DOI whenever available;

• use a permanent URL when no DOI exists;

• avoid citing unreliable, retracted, or unverifiable sources;

• identify preprints as preprints;

• formally cite datasets, software, and other research outputs.

DOIs should be presented as active URLs:

https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx

Journal article format

Author AA, Author BB, Author CC. Article title. Abbreviated Journal Title. Year;volume(issue):pages or article number. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Dataset format

Author AA, Author BB. Dataset title [dataset]. Repository; Year. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Web resource format

Organization or Author. Title of resource. Website name. Published or updated date. Accessed Month Day, Year. Permanent URL.

Authors are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of all references.

---

26. Article Processing Charge

TUMI Oral Health charges an Article Processing Charge of USD 150 for manuscripts accepted for publication.

The APC is requested only after:

• completion of peer review;

• formal editorial acceptance;

• confirmation that all scientific and ethical requirements have been satisfied.

The journal does not charge:

• submission fees;

• peer-review fees;

• fees based on the number of authors;

• additional-author fees;

• page charges;

• color figure charges;

• supplementary material charges;

• manuscript withdrawal fees;

• language evaluation fees.

Any waiver or discount program offered by the journal is described in the journal’s APC and Waiver Policy. Requests for financial assistance are evaluated separately from scientific and editorial decisions.

Payment does not guarantee acceptance, expedited review, favorable reviewer reports, or preferential publication.

---

27. Peer-Review and Editorial Process

27.1. Initial Editorial Screening

The editorial team evaluates:

• relevance to the journal’s scope;

• scientific originality;

• compliance with ethical standards;

• quality of English;

• completeness of submission files;

• adherence to reporting guidelines;

• methodological suitability;

• similarity screening results;

• adequacy of tables, figures, and references.

A manuscript may be rejected during this stage without external peer review.

27.2. External Peer Review

Manuscripts that pass editorial screening are evaluated by at least two independent reviewers using a double-anonymous process.

Reviewers are selected based on:

• relevant expertise;

• absence of disqualifying conflicts of interest;

• independence from the authors and their institutions;

• ability to provide a timely and substantive assessment.

27.3. Editorial Decisions

Possible decisions include:

• accept;

• minor revision;

• major revision;

• reject with the possibility of resubmission;

• reject.

Authors must respond to every reviewer and editor comment in a point-by-point response document. Revised text should be clearly identified according to the journal’s instructions.

A request for revision does not imply eventual acceptance.

27.4. Manuscripts Submitted by Editors

Manuscripts submitted by the Editor-in-Chief, associate editors, editorial board members, journal staff, or their close collaborators are handled by an independent editor who has no relevant conflict of interest.

The author-editor:

• does not select reviewers;

• does not access reviewer identities;

• does not participate in editorial discussions;

• does not make or influence the final decision.

The published article will contain an appropriate disclosure when applicable.

27.5. Publication Dates

Published articles display the relevant editorial dates, including:

• received;

• revised, when applicable;

• accepted;

• published online.

The duration of editorial evaluation varies according to the complexity of the manuscript, reviewer availability, number of revision rounds, and author response time.

---

28. Copyright, Licensing, and Open Access

Authors retain copyright in their published work.

Articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Under this license, users may read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, link to, adapt, and reuse the article for lawful purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given to the authors and the original publication.

The license must be identified in the published PDF, HTML, and article metadata.

Authors are responsible for ensuring that third-party material included in the manuscript is compatible with the journal’s license or is reproduced with appropriate permission.

---

29. Corrections, Retractions, Complaints, and Appeals

Authors must promptly notify the journal if they identify a material error in a submitted or published manuscript.

Post-publication matters are handled under the journal’s policies on:

• corrections;

• expressions of concern;

• retractions;

• complaints;

• editorial appeals;

• research misconduct;

• post-publication discussion.

An appeal must provide a clear scientific or procedural justification. Disagreement with a reviewer’s recommendation, by itself, is not sufficient grounds for an appeal.

The journal may correct, retract, or otherwise update an article when necessary to preserve the integrity of the scholarly record.

---

30. Final Submission Checklist

Before submission, authors must confirm that:

• the manuscript falls within the journal’s aims and scope;

• the work is original and not under consideration elsewhere;

• any preprint has been disclosed;

• all authors satisfy ICMJE criteria;

• every author has provided an ORCID iD;

• the Title Page and blinded manuscript have been uploaded separately;

• the manuscript is written in clear academic English;

• the correct reporting guideline has been followed;

• ethics approval and consent information are complete;

• clinical trial registration is reported when applicable;

• CRediT contributions are included;

• funding and conflicts of interest are disclosed;

• a Data Availability statement is provided;

• references follow Vancouver/AMA style;

• DOI or persistent links have been included whenever available;

• no more than six tables and figures combined appear in the main manuscript;

• additional material has been uploaded as supplementary files;

• all permissions for copyrighted material have been obtained;

• tables are editable;

• figures meet publication-quality standards;

• all identifying information has been removed from the blinded manuscript;

• all authors have reviewed and approved the submitted version.

Failure to comply with these requirements may result in return for technical correction, delay in editorial processing, or rejection.