Journal of Orthodontics, Vol. 29, No. 4, 328,
December 2002
© 2002 British Orthodontic Society
Paediatric Dentistry: A Clinical Approach
Editors: G. Koch, S. Poulsen Munksgaard, Copenhagen, 2001 ISBN 8716122712 4–82 pp., £75.00, (hb)
Martin Kinirons
This books aims to give a comprehensive review of pediatric dentistry and its scientific basis. It is intended as a basis for undergraduate study, and as a reference for interested postgraduates and practitioners. There are useful reviews of oral health in children drawn from Scandinavian studies and caries, periodontal disease, developmental disturbances, erosion, malocclusions, craniofacial disorders, oral mucosal diseases and dental trauma are covered, emphasizing the wide range of oral conditions that affect children. There is comprehensive coverage of mental development in children including the implications for oral care and behaviour management techniques. History and examination is well covered, as are radiographic techniques and diagnosis. The readers will find the summary of caries prevention to be very clear and useful details of caries activity tests are summarized. There is an excellent chapter on pain control and sedation, and both theoretical and practical aspects are clearly explained. The management of carious lesions is explained both in terms of interceptive as well as restorative techniques and endodontics options are dealt with separately for primary and young permanent teeth. Good examples of gingival and periodontal conditions are clearly illustrated with excellent colour photographs and radiographs. Developmental disturbances of teeth are again very clearly illustrated and they are related to the mechanisms of a normal tooth development. The development of occlusion, and the principals of interceptive orthodontics are also covered in a concise and readable manner, and the pediatric dentist’s approach to orthodontics problems is illustrated with some nice clinical examples. Readers will find the coverage of traumatic injuries to be very clear, both in terms of examination and immediate care, as well as longer term issues. A useful section on oral mucosal lesions and basic oral surgery is also well illustrated. The implications of chronic health conditions for oral health is especially welcome, as it is an increasingly important area in pediatric dentistry. The dental care of the disabled child is also covered both in terms of prevention and the principals of treatment. There is also a useful section on the role of the dental team in pediatric dentistry.
The text is very well laid out and is very readable, with good use of tables, line diagrams, and clinical photographs, many in colour. Readers with a particular interest in a topic will find the suggested reading lists at the end of each chapter to be very useful. The editors have succeeded in bringing together a very wide range of material with chapters being contributed by acknowledged experts in their fields. It is a very welcome addition to the present range of textbooks on pediatric dentistry, and will be of great interest to undergraduates, postgraduates, and interested practitioners. It will serve as a very useful source of information for all practitioners with an interest in the dental care of children.
