F. Khan, W. G. Young (eds). UK: Wiley-Blackwell price £49.99; pp 232 ISBN

9781444336559

Tooth wear is a complex process and is fast becoming more prevalent in contributing to loss of dental hard tissue. This book collates a wealth of research and clinical cases combined with information on aetiology, diagnosis, prevention and treatment to provide a practical clinical guide for all dental practitioners. The editors, both practising clinicians, have authored and co-authored several books on dental wear and erosion. The 12 chapters in this book tackle the subject in a methodical fashion.

The book begins by giving an overview of the different types of tooth wear and discusses the multi-factorial nature of this process. The presentation, diagnosis and management of tooth wear in children and adults are discussed separately allowing the reader to appreciate the unique aetiological factors and management strategies of each patient group. Chapters on childhood tooth wear are further divided into age group, examining the aetiology and challenges associated with each one. A whole chapter is devoted to childhood diet and erosion, emphasising its significance. The majority of the remaining chapters are focused on the presentation of tooth wear in adults, salivary factors, diagnosis, prevention, methods of measurement, biomaterials and occlusion. Of particular interest to most practising clinicians are the final two chapters, dedicated to the restoration and rehabilitation of the worn dentition.

The text is easy to follow throughout due to the authors' use of uncomplicated language and the structure is similar to that of a clinical history. The diagrammatic representation of tooth wear given alongside clinical photos clearly illustrates its clinical presentation across the dentition. The text uses diagrams of the same format to represent the morphology of different tooth wear lesions and their clinical presentations allowing for easy comparison. There are numerous useful adjuncts for clinical history taking, as well as key prevention strategies included in the text which could be readily applied in a primary care setting.

The cases and associated photographs used in each chapter complement the text well, keeping a clinical context at the fore. In the latter chapters, which discuss the challenges associated with restoringthe worn dentition, the clinical cases demonstrate the stages of management in tooth wear patients from planning to clinical preparation, and laboratory stages to placement of final restorations. The illustrative clinical cases are more specialist in nature and are unlikely to be undertaken by most GDPs but give useful insight into treatment which may be undertaken in a secondary care environment. Overall, the book is a useful adjunct to any dental student or general dental practitioner who wishes to better understand clinical management of tooth wear.