Avijit Banerjee & Selvam Thavaraj; 2020; Elsevier; £49.99; pp.464; ISBN 978-0-7020-7700-5

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A comprehensive series of case scenarios accompanied by questions and answers encouraging critical thinking, from history, through to treatment. Encompassing a wide range of clinical problems, including those encountered in both primary and secondary care, it is a useful addition to the armamentarium of all dental professionals. However, the intended audience can be narrowed down based on those likely to gain greatest value, namely where experience is a limiting factor for clinical progression.

The contents include an impressive 75 cases. For each, the reader is guided step-by-step through treatment planning and management. This drives adoption of a problem-solving mindset and facilitates reorganisation of knowledge into a clinically useful format. This latest edition features nine extra cases that address contemporary treatments and problems such as CAD-CAM, 'invisible braces', failing implants and CBCT. Therefore, maintaining the book's claim of covering all the core aspects of current oral healthcare delivery.

The clinical problems presented are a mixture of actual and theoretical examples that integrate material from every area of dentistry. Generally, they address the following key features: exploration and evaluation of treatment options in terms of advantages, disadvantages and medico-legal considerations. The ability of these cases to challenge a practical approach to learning is a testament to the level of thought and detail that has gone into their composition. These positives extend to the book's easy to follow structure, with tables, illustrations and artwork supporting the main text.

At a time when COVID-19 has significantly slowed the pace of clinical dentistry, Odell's clinical problem solving in dentistry proves itself more important than ever. While there is no substitute for experience, it is the closest replica on offer in terms of dental literature. Published for a fourth time in 2020, it provides a current resource to support efficient management of dental problems and optimise learning opportunities from every clinical experience. The latter highlights the book's relevance as a companion for undergraduates and early career dentists, particularly to aid preparation for objective structured clinical examinations.

Sarah Fligelstone