Journal of Orthodontics, Vol. 29, No. 1, 75,
March 2002
© 2002 British Orthodontic Society
Orthodontic Materials. Scientific and Clinical Aspects.
W. A. Brantley and T. Eliades Thieme, Stuttgart, 2001 310 pp., Euros 91 hb ISBN 3 13 125281
R. G. Oliver
When I received this book I wondered who would be most appropriate to review it. However, having a look inside the cover convinced me that I would both benefit from and enjoy the task of reviewing it myself. How do I feel now that the task is completed? Those of you who, like me, developed antibodies to dental materials as an undergraduate will be pleasantly surprised. The secret lies in the ‘Clinical’ part of the title of the book. The editors have managed to successfully combine the science of orthodontic materials with helpful information in relation to their clinical usage.
The book contains 15 chapters with 14 contributors. Each chapter is well illustrated by graphs, tables, and diagrams, and there are a small number of colour pictures. There is no logical flow to the order of chapters, for example, Chapter 5 on enamel etching and bond strength is followed by a chapter on the effects of demineralization on caries vulnerability (fair enough), but this is followed by a chapter on brackets and then one on elastomerics before two chapters on adhesive resins. We then get a chapter on cements and one on impression materials before jumping back to bonding to non-conventional surfaces. A chapter on debonding and adhesive clean-up would have enhanced the contents. A useful chapter on allergies concludes the book.
This book is essential reading for orthodontic postgraduate students and for their supervisors. It is too detailed for undergraduate reading. The speed with which orthodontic materials are being developed means that new editions of this book will be necessary every 2 years or so if it is to remain in its current pre-eminent position in the market.
