It is with great pride and anticipation that we present the very first issue of the African Journal of Contemporary Dental Sciences. This milestone marks the beginning of a platform dedicated to advancing dental research, clinical practice, and policy development across the African continent and beyond. Our vision is to bridge the gap between evidence and practice, fostering a scholarly community that reflects Africa’s unique healthcare realities while contributing to the global body of dental science. In this inaugural volume, our contributors offer a diverse and thought-provoking collection of studies that address both clinical outcomes and the broader ethical, technological, and public health dimensions of dentistry. From Ghana, a study on patient satisfaction following orthodontic treatment underscores the importance of patient-focused care, revealing how communication, comfort, and meeting functional-aesthetic expectations shape positive experiences. From Nigeria, an insightful analysis of dental students’ perceptions and attitudes towards e-learning identifies a significant gap. Although technological adoption is high, its educational effectiveness remains under debate, which has important implications for the future development of dental curricula. Ethical practice also comes to the fore, with a review from Zimbabwe and South Africa examining informed consent in the use of dental amalgam. This work is particularly timely in light of global environmental agreements, emphasizing the need for robust consent protocols and patient education in low-resource settings. Complementing these dental-focused studies, a systematic review on the effects of general anesthetic agents on intraoperative awareness reminds us of the interdisciplinary intersections of dentistry and broader surgical care, with implications for patient safety and anesthetic protocols. This diverse yet coherent blend of studies sets the tone for AJCDS: a journal committed to rigorous inquiry, contextual relevance, and the pursuit of excellence in oral health sciences. We extend our gratitude to the authors, reviewers, and editorial team who have made this first issue possible, and we invite our readers to join us in shaping a vibrant, responsive, and impactful dental research community for Africa and the world.