Decision Making for the Periodontal Team

  • S. L. Noble,
  • M. Kellett &
  • I. L. C. Chapple
Surrey: Quintessence, 2003 price £28, pp159 ISBN 1850970637 | ISBN: 1-850-97063-7

This is a most useful little book on how to organise periodontal therapy in general, or for that matter, specialist practice. Written by three authors from different elements the dental team, including a university professor, a dental hygienist and an academic specialist in periodontics, the book takes the reader through an outline of the organisation of the periodontal team, including the medico-legal aspects of employing PCDs and the selection of surgical equipment.

The prevention and management of periodontal diseases are well covered and there are chapters on orthodontics, occlusion, and the periodontal-restorative interface. I particularly liked the hygienist prescription form, which is used by the dentist to transmit information to his hygienist about specific treatment measures for individual patients.

There is a short paragraph on posture for dental hygienists, which is unfortunately spoiled by a photograph of a dental hygienist working with poor posture. The text is illustrated with good quality colour photographs and flow charts, and the most important techniques in periodontal therapy are well described.

How to motivate the patient, the most commonly asked question at periodontal lectures, is well summarised in a chapter which leads on to a description of home care techniques for the patient. There is also an interesting section on smoking cessation, which dental hygienists with an interest in the subject will find it most useful.

The management of periodontal diseases is also concisely described, and there is a table of comparison of the main features of chronic and aggressive periodontitis. Unfortunately, the photograph of aggressive periodontitis, showing severely inflamed gingivae is not typical of the condition. The differences between periodontal and periapical abscesses is also described in a useful table, and I was particularly pleased to see a listing of selection criteria for specialist referral in periodontics.

My only criticism of this book is that the title does not describe the contents. For the most part, the book is a concise description of the management of periodontics in practice. Decision-making is only occasionally covered. The best exception to this is the helpful flow chart on the management of combined endodontic-periodontal lesions where decision-making would certainly be aided by referral to this page.

This useful book is part of the Quintessentials for General Dental Practitioners series and should be on every practice bookshelf.