- Email: [email protected]
Fixed bridge prostheses
Book Reviews
Dr. McGuire, who graduated less than 4 years before publishing this book, takes it upon himself to demonstrate that he and he alone possesses the secret of preventive dentistry-as if he had discovered something new. This would be acceptable except that he takes great pains to attack the rest of the members of his profession almost without exception as money-grabbing incompetents. He sets out a design for the reader, as a patient, to check on whether his dentist is providing him with a satisfactory service, and what he is indeed saying is, ‘if your dentist isn’t doing it my way, he can’t be very good ‘. As, for example, one of the main enthusiasms of Dr. McGuire is the Water Pik, and the reviewer’s regard for these devices borders between displeasure and melancholia, his readers would give the reviewer short shrift. One is doubtful about the logicality of some of the advice given, e.g., on tobacco ‘if you gotta smoke, switch to grass; it’s healthier and not physically addictive like tobacco. Also take natural Vitamin “C” ‘; and again; ’as grass and eating go hand in hand, I’d make sure I brushed after I smoked and ate. Besides, its a gas to brush while stoned! ‘; and, ‘if you do smoke a lot of grass, double your daily intake of natural Vitamin “C” ’ etc. Are these not invitations to the young to smoke ‘pot ’or ‘grass ’? All through the book there are blatant attacks on dentists. One chapter is titled ‘Portrait of the Dentist as a Con-Artist ’and has such headings as: The Dentist’s Money Hang-Ups; Bad Dentists Loosed upon the World; How the Public can put Bad Dentists Out; Levies and Legislation. For example: ‘One reason dentists demand so much money is that they are used to having it as children. It is no coincidence that most students who are accepted into dental school are sons (and rarely daughters) of dentists or doctors or sons of other rich people in the higher income brackets. This is also the reason why most people would like to become dentists. They are used to lots of money, and they think dentistry can give it to them ‘. Also, ‘The poor dental student (relative to the average dental student) can become a definite threat to the status quo of the dental profession. After all, the poorer student is not used to so much money and may not need as much money to live on when he graduates. Thus he just might do better work for less money. And that would freak the money-hungry dentists out . . . The people controlling entrance into dental school can be sure they won’t let someone in who is too idealistic or someone who might want to rock the
267
boat ‘. Apart from the illogicality of the thoughts expressed, these doctrines as published for the general public must be considered as pernicious and this is indeed a pernicious book. Yet among the 233 pages of ill-written, careless rambling (he talks of ‘Barbiturates ‘, ‘Dilatin ‘) there is a good deal of interest, not to the general public in this country, for we should hasten to disclaim any connexion between what Dr. McGuire describes in the United States and our own profession, but dentists ought to have a good dip into this book because if one ignores the dogmatic ‘ My way’s best ’ dentistry, it makes quite a good sociological study of ‘Last year in California ’ and nothing dates faster than that! The book is well printed with awful un-funny diagrams, but at El.35 must make a good excuse to get one’s adrenalin flowing over a weekend. J. 0. FORREST By D. H. ROBERTS. Fixed Bridge Pms&ses. 9%x 7f in. Pp. 288+xii, with 245 illustrations. 1973. Bristol: Wright. f6.50. A text on bridgework by an English author is bound to arouse great interest especially when the author works at the only postgraduate school in the United Kingdom. The purpose of the book as stated in the preface is to try to illustrate the basic principles of bridge design and the reasons why a particular bridge is best in a given case. The specific replacements for the various teeth that are lost are also discussed. The views expressed are based on an analysis of over 1000 cases treated at the Institute of Dental Surgery over the past 20 years. Whilst it is not stated, the reviewer presumes that many of these bridges were constructed entirely by postgraduate students. Some of these students would therefore have had little experience in bridgework and so the conclusions drawn would not necessarily apply to the skilled practitioner employing a competent technician. However, the important point is made that the book will provide sufficient basic knowledge for many dental surgeons to avoid having to learn numerous lessons the hard way. The book is divided into nineteen chapters which range from the history of bridges to the detailed consideration of each type of bridge, and concludes with an interesting chapter on suggestions for bridge designs for individual tooth replacement. The failure rates of the various types of retainers are discussed in chapter 4. It is important to note that the posterior full crown has the lowest failure rate and is three times more
268
successful than the posterior three-quarter crown. It is recommended that where a fixed bridge is being constructed the conventional posterior three-quarter crown should not be used. The M.O.D. inlay has a higher failure rate than the three-quarter crown and so should not normally be used as a major retainer. These findings are to be regretted as although it is relatively easy to make a full crown retentive it is very difficult to ensure that the restoration will not result in permanent damage to the periodontal tissues. The reviewer was surprised to note on p. 169 that chrome-nickel alloy is recommended for the bar and core of a cantilever bridge. It is unlikely that the physical properties of chrome-nickel would be suitable for this purpose. The book contains many well-reproduced photographs and very clear line drawings. It should be bought by all those who do some bridgework in hospital and general practice and would be most useful for students. The very experienced worker in this field would find this text of limited value. The publishers are to be congratulated on the high quality of the production and the reasonable price. A. H. R. ROWE
Operative Dentistry. By H. WILLIAMGILMOREand MELVIN R. LUND. Second edition. 9%x 6+ in. Pp. 672+xvi, with 675 illustrations. 1973. St. Louis: Mosby (London: Kimpton). 29.45. Six years have passed since the first edition of this book was published. In the preface to the new edition the authors comment that the text is for ‘the practitioner, beginning student, and the auxiliaries who are included on the practice team ‘. Although a commendable aim, this is a very wide range at which to aim and it is difficult to understand how the same text can be suitable for all these groups. The comment is also made by the authors that the book has been updated by including ‘new, currently accepted routines ‘. It appears, however, that not as much advantage as possible has been taken to revise the book throughout. It is, therefore, still rather disproportionate in the space given to different aspects of conservative
Journal of Dentistry, Vol. ~/NO. 6
dentistry and a number of new materials receive scant attention. The layout of the book is similar to that of the first edition. Cavity preparation and instrumentation are again described fully and, in general, very well. It is a pity, therefore, that so much space is given in various parts of the book to illustrations of many different sizes and shapes of burs, stones, hand instruments, rubber dam, bottles of cement, and other similar everyday items. In an era of ever-increasing costs these illustrations could be deleted without detriment, and probably to the actual improvement of the text. The chapter on operating and working positions still shows a dentist working standing and it is surprising to see a photograph of a dental engine with an over-sized pulley to increase the rotational speed at the handpiece. When dealing with specific materials, gold foil is given pride of place and is dealt with very fully. Gold inlays are also dealt with clearly and fully, including sections on retraction and impression techniques. This chapter could be improved by a short addition on silicone putty and polyether impression materials. Amalgam restorations are covered well and there is a separate chapter on the use of pin retention. Silicate receives satisfactory coverage but surprisingly there appears to be no reference to mechanical mixing of this material. It is felt that too much space is given to the direct acrylic resins while composite restorative materials are dismissed in a few pages. The chapter on erosion of the teeth devotes more space to its aetiology. than is given to the aetiology of caries. The chapters on caries, including its control and preventive methods, are somewhat disappointing. There is one new chapter. This concerns porcelain restorations but deals with only two main categories of ceramic work. First, porcelain inlays, and secondly, a brief description on bonded porcelain crowns. The book is well produced and will undoubtedly continue to serve as a useful work of reference, particularly for postgraduate students. It is difficult, however, to recommend it as a textbook for basic reading because there are many smaller, simpler, and less expensive books available. D. S. SHOVELTON
Dr. McGuire, who graduated less than 4 years before publishing this book, takes it upon himself to demonstrate that he and he alone possesses the secret of preventive dentistry-as if he had discovered something new. This would be acceptable except that he takes great pains to attack the rest of the members of his profession almost without exception as money-grabbing incompetents. He sets out a design for the reader, as a patient, to check on whether his dentist is providing him with a satisfactory service, and what he is indeed saying is, ‘if your dentist isn’t doing it my way, he can’t be very good ‘. As, for example, one of the main enthusiasms of Dr. McGuire is the Water Pik, and the reviewer’s regard for these devices borders between displeasure and melancholia, his readers would give the reviewer short shrift. One is doubtful about the logicality of some of the advice given, e.g., on tobacco ‘if you gotta smoke, switch to grass; it’s healthier and not physically addictive like tobacco. Also take natural Vitamin “C” ‘; and again; ’as grass and eating go hand in hand, I’d make sure I brushed after I smoked and ate. Besides, its a gas to brush while stoned! ‘; and, ‘if you do smoke a lot of grass, double your daily intake of natural Vitamin “C” ’ etc. Are these not invitations to the young to smoke ‘pot ’or ‘grass ’? All through the book there are blatant attacks on dentists. One chapter is titled ‘Portrait of the Dentist as a Con-Artist ’and has such headings as: The Dentist’s Money Hang-Ups; Bad Dentists Loosed upon the World; How the Public can put Bad Dentists Out; Levies and Legislation. For example: ‘One reason dentists demand so much money is that they are used to having it as children. It is no coincidence that most students who are accepted into dental school are sons (and rarely daughters) of dentists or doctors or sons of other rich people in the higher income brackets. This is also the reason why most people would like to become dentists. They are used to lots of money, and they think dentistry can give it to them ‘. Also, ‘The poor dental student (relative to the average dental student) can become a definite threat to the status quo of the dental profession. After all, the poorer student is not used to so much money and may not need as much money to live on when he graduates. Thus he just might do better work for less money. And that would freak the money-hungry dentists out . . . The people controlling entrance into dental school can be sure they won’t let someone in who is too idealistic or someone who might want to rock the
267
boat ‘. Apart from the illogicality of the thoughts expressed, these doctrines as published for the general public must be considered as pernicious and this is indeed a pernicious book. Yet among the 233 pages of ill-written, careless rambling (he talks of ‘Barbiturates ‘, ‘Dilatin ‘) there is a good deal of interest, not to the general public in this country, for we should hasten to disclaim any connexion between what Dr. McGuire describes in the United States and our own profession, but dentists ought to have a good dip into this book because if one ignores the dogmatic ‘ My way’s best ’ dentistry, it makes quite a good sociological study of ‘Last year in California ’ and nothing dates faster than that! The book is well printed with awful un-funny diagrams, but at El.35 must make a good excuse to get one’s adrenalin flowing over a weekend. J. 0. FORREST By D. H. ROBERTS. Fixed Bridge Pms&ses. 9%x 7f in. Pp. 288+xii, with 245 illustrations. 1973. Bristol: Wright. f6.50. A text on bridgework by an English author is bound to arouse great interest especially when the author works at the only postgraduate school in the United Kingdom. The purpose of the book as stated in the preface is to try to illustrate the basic principles of bridge design and the reasons why a particular bridge is best in a given case. The specific replacements for the various teeth that are lost are also discussed. The views expressed are based on an analysis of over 1000 cases treated at the Institute of Dental Surgery over the past 20 years. Whilst it is not stated, the reviewer presumes that many of these bridges were constructed entirely by postgraduate students. Some of these students would therefore have had little experience in bridgework and so the conclusions drawn would not necessarily apply to the skilled practitioner employing a competent technician. However, the important point is made that the book will provide sufficient basic knowledge for many dental surgeons to avoid having to learn numerous lessons the hard way. The book is divided into nineteen chapters which range from the history of bridges to the detailed consideration of each type of bridge, and concludes with an interesting chapter on suggestions for bridge designs for individual tooth replacement. The failure rates of the various types of retainers are discussed in chapter 4. It is important to note that the posterior full crown has the lowest failure rate and is three times more
268
successful than the posterior three-quarter crown. It is recommended that where a fixed bridge is being constructed the conventional posterior three-quarter crown should not be used. The M.O.D. inlay has a higher failure rate than the three-quarter crown and so should not normally be used as a major retainer. These findings are to be regretted as although it is relatively easy to make a full crown retentive it is very difficult to ensure that the restoration will not result in permanent damage to the periodontal tissues. The reviewer was surprised to note on p. 169 that chrome-nickel alloy is recommended for the bar and core of a cantilever bridge. It is unlikely that the physical properties of chrome-nickel would be suitable for this purpose. The book contains many well-reproduced photographs and very clear line drawings. It should be bought by all those who do some bridgework in hospital and general practice and would be most useful for students. The very experienced worker in this field would find this text of limited value. The publishers are to be congratulated on the high quality of the production and the reasonable price. A. H. R. ROWE
Operative Dentistry. By H. WILLIAMGILMOREand MELVIN R. LUND. Second edition. 9%x 6+ in. Pp. 672+xvi, with 675 illustrations. 1973. St. Louis: Mosby (London: Kimpton). 29.45. Six years have passed since the first edition of this book was published. In the preface to the new edition the authors comment that the text is for ‘the practitioner, beginning student, and the auxiliaries who are included on the practice team ‘. Although a commendable aim, this is a very wide range at which to aim and it is difficult to understand how the same text can be suitable for all these groups. The comment is also made by the authors that the book has been updated by including ‘new, currently accepted routines ‘. It appears, however, that not as much advantage as possible has been taken to revise the book throughout. It is, therefore, still rather disproportionate in the space given to different aspects of conservative
Journal of Dentistry, Vol. ~/NO. 6
dentistry and a number of new materials receive scant attention. The layout of the book is similar to that of the first edition. Cavity preparation and instrumentation are again described fully and, in general, very well. It is a pity, therefore, that so much space is given in various parts of the book to illustrations of many different sizes and shapes of burs, stones, hand instruments, rubber dam, bottles of cement, and other similar everyday items. In an era of ever-increasing costs these illustrations could be deleted without detriment, and probably to the actual improvement of the text. The chapter on operating and working positions still shows a dentist working standing and it is surprising to see a photograph of a dental engine with an over-sized pulley to increase the rotational speed at the handpiece. When dealing with specific materials, gold foil is given pride of place and is dealt with very fully. Gold inlays are also dealt with clearly and fully, including sections on retraction and impression techniques. This chapter could be improved by a short addition on silicone putty and polyether impression materials. Amalgam restorations are covered well and there is a separate chapter on the use of pin retention. Silicate receives satisfactory coverage but surprisingly there appears to be no reference to mechanical mixing of this material. It is felt that too much space is given to the direct acrylic resins while composite restorative materials are dismissed in a few pages. The chapter on erosion of the teeth devotes more space to its aetiology. than is given to the aetiology of caries. The chapters on caries, including its control and preventive methods, are somewhat disappointing. There is one new chapter. This concerns porcelain restorations but deals with only two main categories of ceramic work. First, porcelain inlays, and secondly, a brief description on bonded porcelain crowns. The book is well produced and will undoubtedly continue to serve as a useful work of reference, particularly for postgraduate students. It is difficult, however, to recommend it as a textbook for basic reading because there are many smaller, simpler, and less expensive books available. D. S. SHOVELTON