Oral would healing

  • H. Larjava
(ed) Wiley-Blackwell price £96.95; pp 432 ISBN 9780813804811 | ISBN: 978-0-8138-0481-1

Oral wound healing: cell biology and clinical management is a new resource that provides the reader with a detailed look at the processes of wound healing including both intra- and extra-oral sites.

The book is, as expected, quite heavy reading – particularly in the earlier chapters as described below. It is aimed at a target audience of specialists, surgeons and researchers, but the way the chapters are set out, and some of the topics covered, such as healing of extraction sockets, implants and periodontal regeneration, make the text also of value to interested practitioners who are looking for more than an overview text in their particular area.

The book begins by giving an overview of the contents with a summary of each chapter. It kicks off with a look at haemostasis. This takes you back to basics with coagulation cascades and clotting factors. It is a good reminder of what is happening on a cellular level when we cause injury to tissues. There is an interesting section on warning signs to look out for in the patient's history that may indicate a bleeding tendency, which is of relevance to all practitioners. The first half of the book includes sections on inflammation, angiogenesis, re-epithelialisation and healing of extraction sockets. These chapters look at the complex cellular-level interactions and mechanisms that affect healing and describe the implications of failure of any of these interactions. There are informative, colourful diagrams throughout and tables of information that serve as good reference points for the topic.

The chapters at the end of the book regarding periodontal surgery, burn healing and dentofacial defects have some very high quality photographs that really enhance the text. These chapters are written in a way that is highly informative but still manageable for the novice reader. For this reason, these later chapters were the highlight of the book for me.

The text is supported throughout by descriptions of various theories on the topics, and current research in the field is described in detail. This aspect strengthens the text and of course makes for a more interesting read. The authors have made the book relevant and interesting for a wide audience and have managed to cover a huge topic in a relatively concise text.