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Features Section |
Crispian Scully, Athansios Kalantzis, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005, 768 pp., Paperback, £24.95, ISBN 0198566239
This book has been updated from previous editions and reorganised to focus on the knowledge required by dentists spending time in the Hospital Dental Service as part of their general professional training and for those taking the MFDS examination. The book provides an accessible and practical guide to the general, medical and dental management relevant to medically compromised patients. In a new section, the Handbook covers the oral health care considerations of Special Care Groups specifically on issues of access and the social aspects of care.
The guidelines from the British Cardiac Society on management of infective endocarditis form an appendix, with recommendations for antibiotic prophylaxis that are expanded and differ from those currently accepted in the British National Formulary 2005. This is an important area of clinical practice currently under review, and may cause some confusion to dentists not fully conversant with changes to guidelines and recommendations. The section on Analgesia, Sedation and Anaesthesia covers in a useful table, the choices of appropriate technique for anxiety control in the indications and contraindications for sedation and general anaesthesia. The need for individual titration of midazolam in intravenous sedation, however, is not emphasised in the Handbook, rather a standard dose is discussed that is higher than that recommended in standard sedation texts. The need for an indwelling cannula is mandatory and should be stressed.
The section on Therapeutics is well covered and is essential for any dentist, not only those practising within a hospital environment. There is a useful chapter on Being a Professional that covers clinical guidelines, evidence-based dentistry, clinical governance and the essentials of being part of a team. The Oxford Handbook of Dental Patient Care would be a very useful, accessible resource and guide towards the additional knowledge necessary for dentists working with complex patient groups.
Shelagh Thompson
Dental Hard Tissues and Bonding. Interfacial phenomena and related properties
Eds: G. Eliades, D.C. Watts, T. Eliades, Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 2005, 198 pp., Hardback, £77.00, ISBN 354023408X
This slim volume has a substantial number of contributors to the 8 chapters. The book covers orthodontic and restorative aspects of bonding, considering the issues surrounding attachment to enamel, dentine and cementum. It covers a range of composite and glass ionomer materials, the use of self-etching primers, and the variety of lights for curing. It is not an easy read with large blocks of small font text without breaks other than the illustrations, which are of good quality. Each chapter is concluded by an impressive number of references.
The bulk of the book is devoted to the restorative aspects of bonding, considering in particular the impact of smear layers in enamel and dentine on adhesion. The illustrations are primarily derived from microscope (chiefly scanning and transmission electron) images and hence are in black and white. Colour is used to advantage where appropriate.
This is not a book for the average GDP or specialist practitioner. However, it is important for dental schools who have to teach dental materials, and for postgraduate orthodontic students who want to lock horns with examiners who ask about the basic science aspects of attachment of brackets to teeth.
Richard Oliver
Three-Dimensional Cephalometry
G.R.J. Swennen, F. Schutyser, J.E. Hausamen, Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 2006, 366 pp., Hardback, £154.00, ISBN 3540254404
The world of three-dimensional (3D) imaging is evolving at a rapid pace. Take for example, the trebling of the number of commercially available systems for hard- and soft-tissue imaging in the last decade. Whilst these systems have the capability of producing excellent quality images, methods to analyze these images are still lagging behind. This new book therefore comes at a time when such expertise is being desperately sought after.
The first three chapters of this well-illustrated book give an explanation of the computerized tomography (CT) imaging devices used and explain how virtual views are created to produce an environment conducive for cephalometry. Methods of image standardization and creation of reference systems are also explained. Chapters 4 and 5 are essentially atlases educating the user in the location of standard cephalometric landmarks in a 3D setting. Chapters 6 to 8 discuss the construction of facial reference planes, as well as the creation of standard linear and angular cephalometric measurements. The final three chapters discuss the clinical applications and future direction of these new techniques.
Whilst the idea of 3D cephalomtery comes from an old and well-tested concept, I must congratulate the authors for moving the community in the right direction. In my opinion, the future of image analysis lies in the understanding of shape, surface area and volume changes. This book, I am sure, will evolve with time to incorporate new concepts and ideas but is certainly a step in the right direction. Though the price of £154 may be considered expensive, I would recommend it as a useful reference for all departments using and considering 3D imaging.
Chung How Kau
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