Book review

  • Michel Goldberg
(Editor) Springer International Publishing, 2016 price $100.50 pp 249 ISBN 9783319305509 | ISBN: 978-3-3193-0550-9

Dental caries presents as a prevalent pathology and clinical challenge to all dentists and dental professionals. Due to the widespread extent and preventable nature of the condition research into the prevention, pathogenesis, diagnosis and management is ever changing. Thus, textbooks are periodically published to summarise these advancements.

Professor Michel Goldberg has brought together the expertise of clinicians and researchers to compile a text which takes the reader through a journey of the development of dental caries. It starts with carious lesions affecting the enamel, then moves on to dentine and finally concludes by exploring invasive and non-invasive therapies. The text is aimed at dental clinicians as well as dental academics.

The book is compiled of five parts which are themed. The themes include: the carious enamel, the carious dentine, cervical erosions, fluoride and invasive/non-invasive therapies. Chapters are listed within each theme and the content appears to be delivered in what resembles a research paper style format, which includes a title, author, abstract and references in a majority of the chapters.

The content is presented in a logical order focusing on the progression of caries from very early enamel demineralisation to an extensive established carious lesion. The chapters written by Professor Goldberg are well illustrated with numerous histological slides and may prove useful for dental students seeking a greater pictorial understanding of the carious process.

I found part I, chapter 6, 'New Caries Diagnostic Methods', particularly useful in highlighting some of the novel diagnostic aids available to us as clinicians. The illustrations support the text well. However, the chapter does not offer a comprehensive account of available caries diagnostic methods and thus it may not be suitable for junior dental students looking for a complete account of the diagnosis of caries.

Towards the end of the book, the management of caries is discussed in Part V. I think this summarises the topic well with discussion of key ideas such as minimally invasive and preventative dentistry. Being aimed at students, I was expecting to see an Index in the back of the book for quick reference; however, this was not evident in this text.

Overall, this textbook is an up-to-date account of a majority of the key topics surrounding dental caries. It would provide a useful resource for practitioners and senior dental students alike wishing to build on a foundation of prior knowledge.