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Dental pharmacology
Wallman
and Krasse:
Jensen B. and Bratthall D. (1989) A new method for the estimation of mutans streptococci in human saliva. J. Dent. Res. 68,468-471. Krasse B. (1966) Human streptococci and experimental caries in hamsters. Arch. Oral Biol. 11, 429-436. Meiers J. C. and Schachtele C. F. (1984) Fissure removal and needle scraping for evaluation of the bacteria in occlusal fissures of human teeth. .I Dent. Res. 63, 1051-1055. Rask P. I., Emilson C. G., Krasse B. et al. (1988) Effect of preventive measures in 50-60-year-olds with a high risk of dental caries. Stand. J. Dent. Res. 96, 500-504.
Monitoring
mutans
streptococci
in margins
219
Svanberg M.. Jacobson C. and Hager B. (1987) Streptococcus mutans. lactobacilli and Streptococcus sanguis in plaque from abutment teeth of cemented and of loose retainers. Caries Res. 21, 474-480. Syed S. A. and Loesche W. J. (1972) Survival of human dental plaque flora in various transport media. Appl. Microbial. 24, 638-644. Wallman C. and Krasse B. (1992) Mutans streptococci in margins of fillings and crowns. J. Dent 20, 163-166.
Book Reviews Dental Pharmacology, 2nd edition. F. F. Cowan. Pp. 421. 1991. Philadelphia, Lea & Febiger, f 30.00
The Psychology of Dental Care. G. G. Kent and A. S. Blinkhorn. Pp. 168. 199 1. Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann. Softback, f 14.95.
The second edition of Dental Pharmacology by Fred Cowan is a welcome addition to the texts on dental pharmacology. The book is divided into four sections. Section 1 covers the basic principles of pharmacology and is clearly written and supported by excellent diagrams. Section 2 deals with drugs used by dental practitioners. It is within this section that differences between dental pharmacology in the UK and USA become apparent. For example, the section on local anaesthesia makes no reference to prilocaine felypressin, but comments on prilocaine with or without adrenaline. Other vasoconstrictors recommended in the text include levarterenol and levonordefrin, both of which are not used in this country. Similarly, there is a conflict of views on the use of adrenaline-containing local anaesthetic agents in patients taking tricyclic antidepressants. In the UK, we state ‘there is no clinical evidence of a dangerous interaction between adrenaline containing local anaesthetic agents and patients taking tricyclic antidepressants’, while the author states the converse. The section on antimicrobials has several omissions. For example, there is no mention of metronidazole or acyclovir, and nystatin is the only antifungal agent specified. Antibiotic regimens for the ‘at risk’ patient also illustrate marked national differences. The third section deals with drugs patients are taking and includes the problems of drug interactions. There is no mention of drug-induced gingival overgrowth related to either cyclosporin or the calcium channel blockers, and none on any of the drugs which act on the gastrointestinal tract or respiratory system. The final section covers drug topics of special interest, including drug abuse, legal matters and toxicity. Here again there are differences in practice. I was surprised to see no mention of general anaesthetic agents, perhaps they are dealt with elsewhere. While this book has many points to recommend it, especially the first section, the different terminology and opinions will confuse dental undergraduates and postgraduates in this country. Nonetheless it should certainly be found a place on library shelves. R. A. Seymour
This book does what it sets out to do: introduce and describe basic concepts from the behavioural sciences and demonstrate how these can be, and are, applied in the day-to-day practice of dental care for the benefit of both dentist and patient. It is not, and indeed the authors did not intend it to be, a ‘how to do it manual’. Neither is it a psychology textbook. Rather it is about the interface between two large and diverse disciplines with the emphasis on practical application. Psychological and sociological theory and language are kept to a minimum, concepts and technical terms being introduced within the context of the ongoing discussion and illustrated by concrete clinical examples and reports of relevant research. Inevitably, the nature of the two disciplines involved means that in a book of this kind decisions have to be made about what topics are to be included. It is written with the needs of dental patients, practitioners and students in mind and this is reflected in the coverage. The first two chapters examine the social nature of dentistry and introduce basic behavioural psychology by discussing health and illness behaviours, health education, epidemiology, and the dental profession. The next two chapters deal with the nature and causes of anxiety and approaches to alleviate it, using methods from behavioural psychology and also introducing the idea of the interaction of cognitive (psychological) and physiological variables. These themes are continued in Chapter 5 which is concerned with the psychology of pain and methods of pain control. The last two chapters deal with special groups of patients and the dentistpatient relationship, with particular emphasis on communication skills. For anyone interested in the application of behavioural science to dentistry this book is an excellent basic resource. It is readable, offers practical suggestions and for those wanting to delve further, provides a comprehensive range of references. S. Borgia.
and Krasse:
Jensen B. and Bratthall D. (1989) A new method for the estimation of mutans streptococci in human saliva. J. Dent. Res. 68,468-471. Krasse B. (1966) Human streptococci and experimental caries in hamsters. Arch. Oral Biol. 11, 429-436. Meiers J. C. and Schachtele C. F. (1984) Fissure removal and needle scraping for evaluation of the bacteria in occlusal fissures of human teeth. .I Dent. Res. 63, 1051-1055. Rask P. I., Emilson C. G., Krasse B. et al. (1988) Effect of preventive measures in 50-60-year-olds with a high risk of dental caries. Stand. J. Dent. Res. 96, 500-504.
Monitoring
mutans
streptococci
in margins
219
Svanberg M.. Jacobson C. and Hager B. (1987) Streptococcus mutans. lactobacilli and Streptococcus sanguis in plaque from abutment teeth of cemented and of loose retainers. Caries Res. 21, 474-480. Syed S. A. and Loesche W. J. (1972) Survival of human dental plaque flora in various transport media. Appl. Microbial. 24, 638-644. Wallman C. and Krasse B. (1992) Mutans streptococci in margins of fillings and crowns. J. Dent 20, 163-166.
Book Reviews Dental Pharmacology, 2nd edition. F. F. Cowan. Pp. 421. 1991. Philadelphia, Lea & Febiger, f 30.00
The Psychology of Dental Care. G. G. Kent and A. S. Blinkhorn. Pp. 168. 199 1. Oxford, Butterworth-Heinemann. Softback, f 14.95.
The second edition of Dental Pharmacology by Fred Cowan is a welcome addition to the texts on dental pharmacology. The book is divided into four sections. Section 1 covers the basic principles of pharmacology and is clearly written and supported by excellent diagrams. Section 2 deals with drugs used by dental practitioners. It is within this section that differences between dental pharmacology in the UK and USA become apparent. For example, the section on local anaesthesia makes no reference to prilocaine felypressin, but comments on prilocaine with or without adrenaline. Other vasoconstrictors recommended in the text include levarterenol and levonordefrin, both of which are not used in this country. Similarly, there is a conflict of views on the use of adrenaline-containing local anaesthetic agents in patients taking tricyclic antidepressants. In the UK, we state ‘there is no clinical evidence of a dangerous interaction between adrenaline containing local anaesthetic agents and patients taking tricyclic antidepressants’, while the author states the converse. The section on antimicrobials has several omissions. For example, there is no mention of metronidazole or acyclovir, and nystatin is the only antifungal agent specified. Antibiotic regimens for the ‘at risk’ patient also illustrate marked national differences. The third section deals with drugs patients are taking and includes the problems of drug interactions. There is no mention of drug-induced gingival overgrowth related to either cyclosporin or the calcium channel blockers, and none on any of the drugs which act on the gastrointestinal tract or respiratory system. The final section covers drug topics of special interest, including drug abuse, legal matters and toxicity. Here again there are differences in practice. I was surprised to see no mention of general anaesthetic agents, perhaps they are dealt with elsewhere. While this book has many points to recommend it, especially the first section, the different terminology and opinions will confuse dental undergraduates and postgraduates in this country. Nonetheless it should certainly be found a place on library shelves. R. A. Seymour
This book does what it sets out to do: introduce and describe basic concepts from the behavioural sciences and demonstrate how these can be, and are, applied in the day-to-day practice of dental care for the benefit of both dentist and patient. It is not, and indeed the authors did not intend it to be, a ‘how to do it manual’. Neither is it a psychology textbook. Rather it is about the interface between two large and diverse disciplines with the emphasis on practical application. Psychological and sociological theory and language are kept to a minimum, concepts and technical terms being introduced within the context of the ongoing discussion and illustrated by concrete clinical examples and reports of relevant research. Inevitably, the nature of the two disciplines involved means that in a book of this kind decisions have to be made about what topics are to be included. It is written with the needs of dental patients, practitioners and students in mind and this is reflected in the coverage. The first two chapters examine the social nature of dentistry and introduce basic behavioural psychology by discussing health and illness behaviours, health education, epidemiology, and the dental profession. The next two chapters deal with the nature and causes of anxiety and approaches to alleviate it, using methods from behavioural psychology and also introducing the idea of the interaction of cognitive (psychological) and physiological variables. These themes are continued in Chapter 5 which is concerned with the psychology of pain and methods of pain control. The last two chapters deal with special groups of patients and the dentistpatient relationship, with particular emphasis on communication skills. For anyone interested in the application of behavioural science to dentistry this book is an excellent basic resource. It is readable, offers practical suggestions and for those wanting to delve further, provides a comprehensive range of references. S. Borgia.