Essential human disease for dentists

  • C. Sproat,
  • G. Burke &
  • M. McGurk
UK: Elsevier price £24.99, pp 311 ISBN 0443100985 | ISBN: 0-443-10098-5

It is not uncommon to provide dental treatment for patients who have been diagnosed with a significant medical condition. In many circumstances this can usually be provided safely in a general dental practice setting. However it is imperative that a dentist should have a sound basis of common medical conditions and their relevance in dentistry. The aims of this book include acting as a revision aid for undergraduates, a chairside reference and to describe commonly occurring medical conditions which are encountered in general dental practice.

This textbook is divided into 23 chapters. The authors and the contributors have a range of experiences involving both medical and surgical specialities. A reassuring factor is the presence of dual-qualified authors (medical and dental qualifications). This is apparent when reading the textbook and it is clear that the authors have taken measures to ensure that each chapter is dentally relevant. The majority of the chapters describe a particular medical system ie cardiovascular. This is then further subdivided into individual conditions affecting that system ie hypertension. Each condition is then described systematically in a set clear format which describes the epidemiology, aetiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis and treatment of that condition. The dental relevance of that condition is then described in a highlighted coloured box at the end of each section which is easy to locate quickly and understand. Additional chapters include assessment and risk management, elderly patients, disabled patients, pregnancy, hospital patients, health promotion and medical emergencies in dental practice.

This textbook is compact in size and can be easily stored in an individual dental surgery or carried on a daily basis. The overall presentation has a modern approach which enhances its readability. The text is concise and has been written with clarity, both of which help to provide the essential points in a fashion which is easy to memorise. This book has excellent clinical photographs and line diagrams which support the general text.

In summary this is an excellent book which is highly recommended to general dental practitioners, undergraduates, DCP and postgraduate students. This book easily satisfies its aims and objectives. The authors have managed to produce a textbook which is written primarily for dentists thus appreciating the possible implications of medical conditions when providing dental treatment. It provides information on complex medical conditions in an easy to understand fashion which can be rapidly accessed.