R. W. Brand, D. E. Isselhard. Elsevier price £57.99; pp 624 ISBN

9780323227841

As a dental student the task of studying anatomy, histology and embryology can be rather daunting. This text encompasses oral histology, embryology and dental anatomy, as well as head and neck anatomy, in a user friendly style. It provides a good foundation of knowledge of orofacial structures for dental students and students of dental therapy and hygiene. As an added extra, lecturers can access the new online educator support section, where PowerPoint lecture slides and images can be downloaded.

This book leads you through the foundations of oral anatomy, to tooth morphology, the development of the oral cavity and dental structures, and finally head and neck anatomy. It covers each of the areas in a comprehensive yet clear style that engages the reader and applies the information to clinical situations.

The size of this book is a little overwhelming on the surface but, once you start to explore it, you realise it has a lot to offer and much of the space is used for questions at the end of each chapter and unit. There is also space for note taking and the authors have provided handy, pop-out, pocket-sized flashcards of key anatomical landmarks and tooth morphology.

Each chapter's review questions reinforce learning from the chapter as do multiple choice questions at the end of each unit.

This text goes beyond what would be expected for a text of this title, explaining each aspect in a way that is relevant to the clinician. As well as the extras mentioned above, it also covers areas such as dental anomalies and occlusion, using excellent pictures and diagrams to make the text easy to understand. Despite the large scope of this book it does not withhold the essential details.

I would highly recommend this book to all students; it will see you through dental school and beyond. It is useful for junior years of the BDS course while providing more detailed information for final years and newly qualified dentists.