Drug information handbook for dentistry

Drug information handbook for dentistry

• R. L. Wynn,
• T. F. Meiller &
• H. L. Crossley

USA: Lexi-Comp price $43.95, pp 1898 ISBN 159195102X | ISBN: 1-591-95102-X

This is a concise handbook of commonly used drugs. Drugs are listed alphabetically and appropriately cross-referenced. There are six sections: the introduction, an alphabetical listing of drugs and natural products, oral medicine topics, the appendix and indexes.

The introduction describes the format giving an example of how drug and natural product information is displayed including generic/US brand names, licensed and off-licence use, drug interactions, adverse effects and pharmokinetics. Schedules outlining controlled substances and FDA pregnancy risk factor categories and advice on prescription writing are also given.

The main alphabetical drugs listing is well laid out and easy to read with very clear, concise contents, It is also cross-referenced to oral medical use with appropriate dosing schedules and adverse effects defined. Subheadings (in red) relate to local anaesthesia/vasoconstrictor precautions and effects on dental treatment.

Oral medicine topics are divided into three parts:

• 1 Dental management and therapeutic considerations in medically compromised patients. Groups of diseases and their drug therapies are well cross-referenced. Drug adverse reactions, interactions and possible effects on dental treatment are described. Brief, informative subsections on HIV/AIDS, STDs, viral infections and antibiotic prophylaxis are well presented.

• 2 Dental management and therapeutic consideration in patients with specific oral conditions and other medicine topics. It succinctly covers oral pain; antibacterial drugs and medicines used for periodontal diseases are described. There are synopses on anti-fungal and anti-viral preparations; drugs for aphthae and lichen planus, dental hypersensitivity and caries, oral sedation agents and topical preparations for the management of cancer patients. Products causing and treating dry mouth are also described. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction is divorced from facial pain and has a brief list of management options.

• 3 Other oral medicine topics are addressed including recognising domestic violence, animal and human bite guidelines, well-defined information on chemical dependency and smoking cessation. Management of dental office emergencies gives fundamental information. A suggested reading list for all topics is given.

The appendix, pharmacological category index and alphabetical product index completes the book.

The drug section is good and constitutes the majority of the book. The much smaller section on oral medicine related conditions was rather disappointing. This book will be a useful addition to pharmacological texts but, as wisely stated at the outset, will not replace them.