Clinician's handbook of oral and maxillofacial surgery

  • D. Laskin
UK: Quintessence price £48.00; pp 404 ISBN 9781850972020 | ISBN: 978-1-8509-7202-0

This is an A5-sized ring bound book aiming to supplement other available more extensive OMFS texts by providing important, clinically relevant information in a concise format. It is, primarily, an American publication edited by Daniel Laskin, a Professor and Chairman Emeritus in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Virginia, USA. A large number of clinicians have contributed to the text (including radiologists, OMFS surgeons, orthodontists, anaesthetists and pathologists).

The book is divided into 25 chapters which are systemically structured and the index enables quick access to topics. Topics cover elements of urgent management and clinical problem solving and include: laboratory tests, imaging, investigations, management of medically compromised patients, medical emergencies, post-operative complications, sedation, diagnosis and treatment of cysts/tumours/salivary gland disease and the management of maxillofacial trauma, infections, craniofacial abnormalities, TMJ disorders and oral mucosal lesions.

The book begins with an outstanding patient assessment chapter (clerking, history, examination). Chapters are laid out in easy-to-read paragraphs with subheadings, well supplemented with black and white diagrams and tables. However, the lack of any clinical photographs or colour can make the book appear quite heavy going initially.

Those working in hospital settings may find chapters explaining blood test results, electrolyte abnormalities and ECG interpretation invaluable. I found the chapter on nutrition for the post-operative patient useful as an understanding of enteral/parenteral feeding regimes are advantageous when working in a head and neck oncology setting. Two chapters in particular were excellently well written, namely, the 'Diagnosis and Treatment of Bisphosphonate-related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw' and 'Managing Complications of Dentoalveolar Surgery'.

American terminology and acronyms were quite hard work at times and care is needed to avoid confusion, especially in chapters such as classification of cysts. The reader would also need to remain aware of important differing algorithms between the USA and UK, eg BLS. I found the least useful information to be that regarding American hospital protocol, procedure and organisation; however, to an American reader this may be fairly interesting.

For a UK readership, this text is ultimately aimed at practising dual-qualified OMFS trainees. Many of the 'how-to' clinical techniques (eg chest drain insertion, arterial line insertion) would not be expected of, for example, a dentally-qualified OMFS SHO. This handy reference text, however, contains much easily accessible clinically significant information for a junior trainee within hospital settings and OMFS. I feel it would definitely serve to enhance the working knowledge base of a dentally qualified trainee working within OMFS.