Planning and making crowns and bridges

  • B G N Smith
London: Martin Dunitz Ltd, 1998 Price £49.95 3rd ed., 300pp ISBN 1-85317-314-2 | ISBN: 1-85317-314-2

The first two editions of this book, originally published in 1986 and now entering its third edition, have become a standard undergraduate and postgraduate text. The first half covers crowns, while most of the second half covers bridges, with short sections toward the end on splinting (which seems a little out of place) and on failures and repairs, which is excellent. In terms of its structure and overall ethos, the third edition is very similar to the second, but there have been some new inclusions and changes of emphasis to reflect the emergence of new technologies and treatment modalities; implants, for example, are included as part of the treatment planning process for the first time. While the rapid emergence of minimal preparation techniques is reflected in the coverage of bridges, elsewhere the emphasis is on the conventional (occasionally looking a little old fashioned) with relatively little on the burgeoning use of adhesive technologies for single unit restorations. The small changes in content are enhanced by substantial changes in the updated illustrations. Considerable importance is still placed on the use of photographs of real cases, one of the strengths of the book, but with so many photographs included, they tend to be small and often critical detail is lost. Some of the (few) line drawings from the previous edition have been dropped in preference for photographs with lines superimposed, a ploy which is used to good effect. The overall emphasis is on the mechanical and material, rather than the biological. Greater coverage of, for example, pulp protection, the role of the coronal seal and periodontal issues would have been welcome.

The original preface of the book states that the book aims to 'help quite a lot' with initial decision-making and mouth preparation, but to help 'rather less' with clinical procedures. In fact I think the greatest strength of the book lies in the sensible and comprehensive way it provides descriptions of clinical procedures. As the author himself states, designing bridges is difficult, and it takes years to accumulate a solid core of experience, knowledge and judgement. It is a lot to expect any book to provide that. However, recent knowledge and understanding are incorporated in this new edition and the author's extensive experience has resulted in a text that shows a refreshing openness and honesty about the empirical nature of much of what we do. It is also written in a personal, straightforward and down-to-earth style which means it is never as dry a read as many alternative texts. There is an updated and appropriate bibliography at the end, but it is intentionally not referenced throughout. Given the nature of the book this seems justified, although I would have found it useful to have the reading list at the end of each chapter rather than the end of the book.

The resulting third edition should continue to provide undergraduates and postgraduates with a realistic overview of the subject.

[BDJ 771] J G Steele

Biology of the periodontal connective tissues

  • P M Bartold &
  • S Narayanan
London: Quintessence Publishing Co Ltd, 1998 Price £65.00 292pp ISBN 0-86715-340-7 | ISBN: 0-86715-340-7

This book is a timely addition to texts on periodontics. The book is written by two well-known authors in the field of connective tissue metabolism of the periodontium. The text is divided into four interrelated sections that follow each other in a logical fashion. Part I covers the fundamental principles of connective tissue biology; Part II deals with the composition of the extracellular matrix; and Part III focuses on the periodontal connective tissues. The final section addresses clinical aspects that are related to these topics.

The book shows the advances in the biological sciences that have impacted upon periodontal research during the past decade; in particular the impact and use of cell and molecular biological techniques that have led to a greater understanding of the homeostasis of the periodontal tissues, the mechanisms involved in periodontal destruction and the expression of periodontal diseases. Furthermore, the text also shows how these techniques have been used in the diagnosis and possible management strategies for periodontal disease.

The text reads well with each section or chapter starting with a comprehensive introduction. Figures and tables are used throughout and they all provide useful summaries. The authors also make good use of colour illustrations to show clinical procedures and their outcomes.

One of the problems with a textbook of this nature is keeping up-to-date, especially in the area that relates to molecular and cell biology to the periodontium and periodontal disease. All textbooks date quickly and I feel this one will date quicker than most. In spite of this reservation, which is no fault of the authors, just the area of their expertise, I have enjoyed reading the book. It is very much a reference book and will be invaluable to those scientists and clinicians who carry out research in this area. Furthermore, the contents will certainly be useful to those pursuing a postgraduate degree programme.

[BDJ 783] R A Seymour