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Fluorides and dental caries: Contemporary concepts for practitioners and students, 3rd edition
J. Dent.
1988;
16: 45-46
45
Book Reviews Section
Editor:
Understanding
P. N. Hirschmann
Dental Caries.
Gorden Nikiforuk. Basel, Karger, Vol. 1 and 2 (complete set) hardback, SFr 1 16.00/DM 139.OO/US$49.50.
Vol. 1. Etiology and Mechanisms. Basic and Clinical Aspects. Pp. xii + 303. SFr58.00/DM 69.OO/US$24.75. Vol. 2. Prevention. Pp. xii + 288.
1985.
Basic and Clinical Aspects. SFr58.00/DM69.00/US$24.75.
This generally excellent textbook on dental caries is unusual in that it is published in two slim hardback volumes: the first covers the “Etiology and Mechanisms” of the dental caries process, exploring both basic and clinical aspects in considerable depth, while the second is concerned with “prevention”. This division into two such discrete entities (which the author suggests might stand alone) contrasts with the complex interrelationships between the various subjects discussed, as evidenced by the copious use of cross-referencing between chapters and volumes within the text. Some may therefore consider this an unhelpful approach. This feature apart, the book is readable, comprehensive and authoritative and successfully provides the essential information upon which a sound understanding of dental caries can be based. Although aimed at the undergraduate student, it is also suitable for those undertaking formal postgraduate study as well as for practitioners wanting to update their knowledge. The fragmentation of dental caries research into so many small and specialized fields of study has become a significant barrier to understanding how the pieces of the modern dental caries ‘jigsaw’ relate to each other. In an attempt to overcome this, and to provide the continuity of style so often missing in multiauthored texts, Professor Nikiforuk decided to write most of it himself-a task which he describes as “an exercise in masochism”. His endeavour has been rewarded, however, as both volumes maintain a logical, easy-to-read style with continuity of approach. The judicious use of subheadings and the inclusion of suggested further reading and relevant references at the end of each chapter are to be commended, although there is a distinct American slant to the latter in some sections. In order to ensure a consistently high standard across the very broad range covered each chapter was submitted to at least one reviewer for critical evaluation. An eminent panel of reviewers was chosen; in some cases parts or whole chapters were rewritten. In these cases the reviewers are also listed as contributors. As well as dealing with the theoretical concepts underlying the disease, the book contains a number of sections addressing such practical issues as “which preventive agent do I choose and how do I apply it?“. In an evolving subject it is inevitable that there will be some 0 1988 Butterworth & Co Publishers 0300-5712/88/010045JI2 $03.00
Ltd.
specific issues where the ideas of this reviewer will differ from those held by the author/chapter reviewers, or where further progress has been made in the 2 years since publication. For example, the recommendation never to fissure seal in the presence of a “diagnosable” carious lesion (even if small), the reliance on a visuotactile method of determining which occlusal fissures fall into the ‘questionable’ category and the failure to discuss the role of the preventive resin restoration, may now give rise to dissension in some quarters. The typeface and page layout of these volumes are attractive and the quality of printing is up to the standard expected from Karger. A small criticism is that often references made in the text to tables and figures require the turn of a page to find the relevant information. While printing errors are few, some remain, such as the wrongly captioned Figure 2 in chapter 1 1 volume 2 which depicts various toothbrush head designs (the legend claims that the figure shows flossing techniques!) Such minor problems do not detract from a book that can be highly recommended: $49.50 for both volumes in hardback represents reasonable value for money in these times of exorbitant book prices. N. B. Pitts
Fluorides and Dental Caries: Contemporary for Practitioners and Students, 3rd edition. Edited by E. Newbrun. IL: Charles C. Thomas.
Pp. xx + 289. 1986. Hardback, $35.75.
Concepts
Springfield,
The third edition of Fluorides and Dental Caries is a welcome addition to the reference material on fluoride in preventive dentistry. Research since the previous edition was published 10 years ago has added considerably to our knowledge of the physiology and action of fluoride. During the same time clinical trials have continued using fluorides in different materials and controversy has continued over fluoridation of public water supplies. It is therefore particularly apt to find chapters in this new edition contributed by noted researchers in these areas, namely Gary Whitford, who has written a chapter on fluoride metabolism, and P. Jean Frazier, Harold C. Hodge and Frank A. Smith who handle different aspects of water fluoridation. Other contributors include Stephen Wei, Stanley F. Heifetz and Hershel S. Horowitz, all of whom are well recognized for their work in fluoride research. The material discussed in the book, particularly in the chapters on fluoride metabolism, topically applied fluorides and water fluoridation, provides an excellent overview of these aspects of fluoride research. They are highly readable and useful for teaching both dental students and dental hygienists. With this in mind, each chapter has a review with topics for discussion and to allow self-evaluation. Many texts on fluoride discuss various aspects of fluoridation but few actually discuss as
46
J. Dent.
1988;
16: No. 1
well as Frazier and Newbrun the roles of the dental profession in the community in promoting water fluoridation from both scientific and sociopolitical points of view. This makes excellent reading for both dental practitioners and dental pressure groups involved in the promotion of fluoridation of public water supplies. Although written with a bias toward the North American market and, at 289 pages, a little long for general reading, there are individual chapters which are excellent. The only aspect on which more information could have been provided is that of supplemental fluorides, as this is an area we still rely on very heavily in preventive dentistry. We are constantly provided with new research information on all aspects of preventive dentistry and we need to decide how best to use this information for our patients. However, if we are to make such decisions, then we have to make them on a basis of being properly informed, and in the area of the use of fluoride in preventive dentistry, this text provides a very good review to bring practitioners up to date and aid them in their decisions. It would be a valuable addition to any dental or medical library and to teaching departments involved in preventive dentistry. B. K. Drummond Anesthesia and Sedation in the Dental Office. Edited by R. A. Dionne and D. M. Laskin. Pp. 170. 1986. New York, Elsevier. Hardback, $65.00. This book comprises the papers presented at a Consensus Development Conference held at the National Institutes of Health (USA) in 1985 and the report of the Consensus Development Panel. There are 18 chapters, starting from history, and ranging through psychology, mortality, pharmacology, preoperative assessment and postoperative care to proposals for postdoctoral education. The book is American-unashamedly so; as early as p. 3 it states that “the American dentist is universally regarded as the best in the world”: the British reader might feel a trifle upset by this assertion. More important, the American bias results in a fascinating insight into the problems facing our transatlantic colleagues, but little which is directly relevant to British practice (with the exception of the chapter on Mortality and Morbidity by M. P. Coplans which presents his already well-known work on the subject.) Unfortunately the chapters on pharmacology and psychology give little advice to help someone trying actually to use sedative and anaesthetic techniques, and many papers seem to have been written by academics with little or no practical experience of the subject. The consensus report is disappointing; the definition of sedation as opposed to general anaesthesia is not properly clarified, and very basic statements such as the list of possible routes for drug administration are interspersed with others like “special caution is advised when considering anaesthetic care for the patient who may develop malignant hyperthermia”. Who should be advised to read this book? The professional dental anaesthetist will find nothing new which will alter his practice. The general dental practitioner is likely to find it heavy going and largely irrelevant. Probably the only people who will benefit are those concerned with the teaching of dental anaesthesia and sedation, and those who particularly want to know what is happening across the Atlantic. T. P. Cripps
Notes on Dental Materials, 5th edition. Dental Series. E. C. Combe. Pp. 395. 1986. Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone. Softback, f 12.95. Dental Materials. edition.
Properties
and Manipulation,
4th
Robert G. Craig, William J. O’Brien and John M. Powers. Pp. 337. 1987. St Louis, CV Mosby. Softback, f 18.50. Here are the new editions, one now in its fifth, the other the fourth, of two well-established textbooks. Is their continued publication justified? To deal with Combe first, it is a book I have always found to be of excellent value and recommended over the years with full confidence to my students. The presentation is well conceived and it is decently printed on good-quality paper. Since it is intended as “notes” it cannot be expected to cover every material in exhaustive detail, but the author has none the less managed to give an excellent resume of all the most important points, including testing, fabrication procedures and recent advances, backed up with a reference section containing key references which are mainly recent and easily available to most UK graduates. This continues to be a book that no undergraduate should be without and will serve any practitioner well as a good reference in the years to come. Craig, O’Brien and Powers is another matter. The presentation may be glossy but the general approach is puerile. At least half the illustrations (one is a photograph of a mixing bowl and spatula!) could readily be omitted: many are of poor standard and lend nothing to the substance of the text. The five pages of pictures of composite resin products are an indulgence: how much did the manufacturers pay for this privilege? On the credit side, the review questions and self-test questions and answers are most useful. While I can see no market for the book as a whole, these could make a worthwhile, separate handbook. A. M. Fletcher Immunological Aspects of Oral Diseases. Edited by L. Ivanyi. Pp. 284. 1986. Lancaster, MTP. Press. Hardback, f 39.95. The progress of immunology has been rapid and its role in the pathogenesis of many oral diseases is now well established. This multiauthor book, part of the “Immunology and Medicine” series, is intended for those who wish to improve their understanding of this exciting field. Immunology, however, can be a daunting subject for the non-expert, but this book provides an approachable and up-to-date overview of the subject. References have been omitted from the text and replaced by short lists of further reading at the end of each chapter. While this has the effect of making it easier to follow, it did on occasion leave me wondering what was the evidence for certain remarks and whether some of the views expressed were not, in fact, the authors’ unsubstantiated opinions. None the less there can be little doubt that this concise text will prove valuable to postgraduates at all levels. My criticisms of the text are minor; Langerhans cells are discussed on p. 3, but it is not until p. 226 that we learn of their bone marrow origin. Among proof-reading errors, the Langhans cell of tuberculosis has been converted to Langerhans, which is bound to cause confusion. The main criticism has to be of the quality of the clinical pictures which have been badly reproduced and are far too dark: at f40 a higher standard is expected. W. J. Hume
1988;
16: 45-46
45
Book Reviews Section
Editor:
Understanding
P. N. Hirschmann
Dental Caries.
Gorden Nikiforuk. Basel, Karger, Vol. 1 and 2 (complete set) hardback, SFr 1 16.00/DM 139.OO/US$49.50.
Vol. 1. Etiology and Mechanisms. Basic and Clinical Aspects. Pp. xii + 303. SFr58.00/DM 69.OO/US$24.75. Vol. 2. Prevention. Pp. xii + 288.
1985.
Basic and Clinical Aspects. SFr58.00/DM69.00/US$24.75.
This generally excellent textbook on dental caries is unusual in that it is published in two slim hardback volumes: the first covers the “Etiology and Mechanisms” of the dental caries process, exploring both basic and clinical aspects in considerable depth, while the second is concerned with “prevention”. This division into two such discrete entities (which the author suggests might stand alone) contrasts with the complex interrelationships between the various subjects discussed, as evidenced by the copious use of cross-referencing between chapters and volumes within the text. Some may therefore consider this an unhelpful approach. This feature apart, the book is readable, comprehensive and authoritative and successfully provides the essential information upon which a sound understanding of dental caries can be based. Although aimed at the undergraduate student, it is also suitable for those undertaking formal postgraduate study as well as for practitioners wanting to update their knowledge. The fragmentation of dental caries research into so many small and specialized fields of study has become a significant barrier to understanding how the pieces of the modern dental caries ‘jigsaw’ relate to each other. In an attempt to overcome this, and to provide the continuity of style so often missing in multiauthored texts, Professor Nikiforuk decided to write most of it himself-a task which he describes as “an exercise in masochism”. His endeavour has been rewarded, however, as both volumes maintain a logical, easy-to-read style with continuity of approach. The judicious use of subheadings and the inclusion of suggested further reading and relevant references at the end of each chapter are to be commended, although there is a distinct American slant to the latter in some sections. In order to ensure a consistently high standard across the very broad range covered each chapter was submitted to at least one reviewer for critical evaluation. An eminent panel of reviewers was chosen; in some cases parts or whole chapters were rewritten. In these cases the reviewers are also listed as contributors. As well as dealing with the theoretical concepts underlying the disease, the book contains a number of sections addressing such practical issues as “which preventive agent do I choose and how do I apply it?“. In an evolving subject it is inevitable that there will be some 0 1988 Butterworth & Co Publishers 0300-5712/88/010045JI2 $03.00
Ltd.
specific issues where the ideas of this reviewer will differ from those held by the author/chapter reviewers, or where further progress has been made in the 2 years since publication. For example, the recommendation never to fissure seal in the presence of a “diagnosable” carious lesion (even if small), the reliance on a visuotactile method of determining which occlusal fissures fall into the ‘questionable’ category and the failure to discuss the role of the preventive resin restoration, may now give rise to dissension in some quarters. The typeface and page layout of these volumes are attractive and the quality of printing is up to the standard expected from Karger. A small criticism is that often references made in the text to tables and figures require the turn of a page to find the relevant information. While printing errors are few, some remain, such as the wrongly captioned Figure 2 in chapter 1 1 volume 2 which depicts various toothbrush head designs (the legend claims that the figure shows flossing techniques!) Such minor problems do not detract from a book that can be highly recommended: $49.50 for both volumes in hardback represents reasonable value for money in these times of exorbitant book prices. N. B. Pitts
Fluorides and Dental Caries: Contemporary for Practitioners and Students, 3rd edition. Edited by E. Newbrun. IL: Charles C. Thomas.
Pp. xx + 289. 1986. Hardback, $35.75.
Concepts
Springfield,
The third edition of Fluorides and Dental Caries is a welcome addition to the reference material on fluoride in preventive dentistry. Research since the previous edition was published 10 years ago has added considerably to our knowledge of the physiology and action of fluoride. During the same time clinical trials have continued using fluorides in different materials and controversy has continued over fluoridation of public water supplies. It is therefore particularly apt to find chapters in this new edition contributed by noted researchers in these areas, namely Gary Whitford, who has written a chapter on fluoride metabolism, and P. Jean Frazier, Harold C. Hodge and Frank A. Smith who handle different aspects of water fluoridation. Other contributors include Stephen Wei, Stanley F. Heifetz and Hershel S. Horowitz, all of whom are well recognized for their work in fluoride research. The material discussed in the book, particularly in the chapters on fluoride metabolism, topically applied fluorides and water fluoridation, provides an excellent overview of these aspects of fluoride research. They are highly readable and useful for teaching both dental students and dental hygienists. With this in mind, each chapter has a review with topics for discussion and to allow self-evaluation. Many texts on fluoride discuss various aspects of fluoridation but few actually discuss as
46
J. Dent.
1988;
16: No. 1
well as Frazier and Newbrun the roles of the dental profession in the community in promoting water fluoridation from both scientific and sociopolitical points of view. This makes excellent reading for both dental practitioners and dental pressure groups involved in the promotion of fluoridation of public water supplies. Although written with a bias toward the North American market and, at 289 pages, a little long for general reading, there are individual chapters which are excellent. The only aspect on which more information could have been provided is that of supplemental fluorides, as this is an area we still rely on very heavily in preventive dentistry. We are constantly provided with new research information on all aspects of preventive dentistry and we need to decide how best to use this information for our patients. However, if we are to make such decisions, then we have to make them on a basis of being properly informed, and in the area of the use of fluoride in preventive dentistry, this text provides a very good review to bring practitioners up to date and aid them in their decisions. It would be a valuable addition to any dental or medical library and to teaching departments involved in preventive dentistry. B. K. Drummond Anesthesia and Sedation in the Dental Office. Edited by R. A. Dionne and D. M. Laskin. Pp. 170. 1986. New York, Elsevier. Hardback, $65.00. This book comprises the papers presented at a Consensus Development Conference held at the National Institutes of Health (USA) in 1985 and the report of the Consensus Development Panel. There are 18 chapters, starting from history, and ranging through psychology, mortality, pharmacology, preoperative assessment and postoperative care to proposals for postdoctoral education. The book is American-unashamedly so; as early as p. 3 it states that “the American dentist is universally regarded as the best in the world”: the British reader might feel a trifle upset by this assertion. More important, the American bias results in a fascinating insight into the problems facing our transatlantic colleagues, but little which is directly relevant to British practice (with the exception of the chapter on Mortality and Morbidity by M. P. Coplans which presents his already well-known work on the subject.) Unfortunately the chapters on pharmacology and psychology give little advice to help someone trying actually to use sedative and anaesthetic techniques, and many papers seem to have been written by academics with little or no practical experience of the subject. The consensus report is disappointing; the definition of sedation as opposed to general anaesthesia is not properly clarified, and very basic statements such as the list of possible routes for drug administration are interspersed with others like “special caution is advised when considering anaesthetic care for the patient who may develop malignant hyperthermia”. Who should be advised to read this book? The professional dental anaesthetist will find nothing new which will alter his practice. The general dental practitioner is likely to find it heavy going and largely irrelevant. Probably the only people who will benefit are those concerned with the teaching of dental anaesthesia and sedation, and those who particularly want to know what is happening across the Atlantic. T. P. Cripps
Notes on Dental Materials, 5th edition. Dental Series. E. C. Combe. Pp. 395. 1986. Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone. Softback, f 12.95. Dental Materials. edition.
Properties
and Manipulation,
4th
Robert G. Craig, William J. O’Brien and John M. Powers. Pp. 337. 1987. St Louis, CV Mosby. Softback, f 18.50. Here are the new editions, one now in its fifth, the other the fourth, of two well-established textbooks. Is their continued publication justified? To deal with Combe first, it is a book I have always found to be of excellent value and recommended over the years with full confidence to my students. The presentation is well conceived and it is decently printed on good-quality paper. Since it is intended as “notes” it cannot be expected to cover every material in exhaustive detail, but the author has none the less managed to give an excellent resume of all the most important points, including testing, fabrication procedures and recent advances, backed up with a reference section containing key references which are mainly recent and easily available to most UK graduates. This continues to be a book that no undergraduate should be without and will serve any practitioner well as a good reference in the years to come. Craig, O’Brien and Powers is another matter. The presentation may be glossy but the general approach is puerile. At least half the illustrations (one is a photograph of a mixing bowl and spatula!) could readily be omitted: many are of poor standard and lend nothing to the substance of the text. The five pages of pictures of composite resin products are an indulgence: how much did the manufacturers pay for this privilege? On the credit side, the review questions and self-test questions and answers are most useful. While I can see no market for the book as a whole, these could make a worthwhile, separate handbook. A. M. Fletcher Immunological Aspects of Oral Diseases. Edited by L. Ivanyi. Pp. 284. 1986. Lancaster, MTP. Press. Hardback, f 39.95. The progress of immunology has been rapid and its role in the pathogenesis of many oral diseases is now well established. This multiauthor book, part of the “Immunology and Medicine” series, is intended for those who wish to improve their understanding of this exciting field. Immunology, however, can be a daunting subject for the non-expert, but this book provides an approachable and up-to-date overview of the subject. References have been omitted from the text and replaced by short lists of further reading at the end of each chapter. While this has the effect of making it easier to follow, it did on occasion leave me wondering what was the evidence for certain remarks and whether some of the views expressed were not, in fact, the authors’ unsubstantiated opinions. None the less there can be little doubt that this concise text will prove valuable to postgraduates at all levels. My criticisms of the text are minor; Langerhans cells are discussed on p. 3, but it is not until p. 226 that we learn of their bone marrow origin. Among proof-reading errors, the Langhans cell of tuberculosis has been converted to Langerhans, which is bound to cause confusion. The main criticism has to be of the quality of the clinical pictures which have been badly reproduced and are far too dark: at f40 a higher standard is expected. W. J. Hume