Restorative dentistry (2nd edition)

  • A. D. Walmsley,
  • T. F. Walsh,
  • P. J. Lumley,
  • F. J. T. Burke,
  • A. C. Shortall,
  • R. Hayes-Hall &
  • I. A. Pretty
UK: Elsevier price £39.99; pp 229 ISBN 9780443102462 | ISBN: 978-0-4431-0246-2

This multi-authored book is the second edition of an established text, with additions to the sections on 'caries and other reasons for restoring teeth' and 'the principles of tooth replacement', as well as updates to the rest of the text. Despite being multi-authored, the style of the chapters is fairly consistent and the text is fluid and easy to follow, covering a wide range of topics.

The preface states that the book is an introductory text and that 'covering the whole subject of restorative dentistry is a difficult task'; nonetheless, it is disappointing that there is minimal coverage of pulp-protection and that there is not more on restoration of root-treated teeth. Also, it is a shame that the section on periodontal diseases has not been updated from the first edition as it does not reflect contemporary teaching and practice. A couple of minor niggles are that pins are advocated for cores with little mention of alternative retentive features, and no mention is made of border moulding of impressions of edentulous patients.

Despite the above shortcomings, the remainder of the book has many good points and is generally of a high standard. The text is supplemented by over 400 illustrations, and with a few exceptions these are of high quality and useful. Key points are tabulated and easy to see at a glance. The section on occlusion covers a sometimes confused topic with clarity and at just the right level of detail. The sections on caries and endodontic treatment are also highlights: easy to follow and contemporary, despite being brief. As is the case with other chapters in the book, a lot of useful information is crammed into the section on tooth replacement.

This book is good value for money, containing much relevant information, especially for a text this size (240 pages). The book is described as 'an introductory text' and fulfils this role, with more detail in some areas. Overall, this is a good text for background reading; it provides a lot of clinical information and will be very useful to the target junior undergraduate. However, additional texts will need to be consulted for further principles underlying some of the techniques described and for periodontology.