Book review

  • J. G. Meechan
Quintessence price £28.00; pp 140 ISBN 9781850972044 | ISBN: 978-1-8509-7204-4

This textbook forms part of the successful series of quintessential books for general dental practitioners. Local anaesthesia is very relevant to any dental speciality and forms an essential part of providing painless, effective treatment to patients. Historically, the vast majority of textbooks have been written and published in America and it goes without saying that these books are of fine quality. However, it is refreshing to acknowledge the work of a British oral surgeon, who wrote this excellent book. Dr John Meechan is internationally recognised for his contribution to this field and is the lead researcher in local anaesthesia studies in Newcastle Dental School, as well as collaborating internationally with the University of Toronto, Canada, the University of Campinas, Brazil and Yeditepe University, Istanbul. The book is addressed to a wide target audience, from undergraduate dental students, through to general dental practitioners, senior house officers, registrars and established specialists.

It is divided into nine chapters: pharmacology and anatomy, instrumentation, local anaesthetic drugs, maxillary and mandibular anaesthesia, supplementary techniques, safety, trouble-shooting and a discussion on painless local anaesthesia. Each chapter opens with aims and objectives and finishes with referenced scientific articles for further reading; enabling those with a particular interest to look up the evidence-base. A real strength of this book is the generous use of high quality images, diagrams, tables and figures which help the reader understand the principles outlined. This is particularly useful when studying the more advanced techniques such as the Akinosi-Vazirani block, mylohyoid nerve block and anterior ramus technique. For those who are preparing for postgraduate examinations such as MFDS, MJDF or international equivalent, the section on safety is particularly useful, covering common exam topics such as drug doses and medical emergencies.

The strength of this textbook is providing an easy-to-read and understandable guide to dental local anaesthesia, combining relevant best practice evidence with comprehensive explanations of current treatment methods and applicable clinical advice. In summary, I would not hesitate to recommend this book to anyone interested in this field. It covers all the essential areas surrounding local anaesthesia and provides a firm foundation for further reading, making it a valuable addition to any dentist's book shelf.