Indirect restorations

  • D. Bartlett &
  • D. Ricketts
UK: Quintessence price £28.00; pp 170 ISBN 9781850970781 | ISBN: 978-1-8509-7078-1

Part of the Quintessential series, this book is aimed at general dental practitioners but is equally suitable for dedicated dental students, new graduates and vocational dental practitioners. The authors of this book are experienced specialists in restorative dentistry and have experience in academic teaching institutions. It is clear from the beginning that these experiences have been used fully in the writing of this book. The book is divided into nine chapters, covered over 157 pages. It is well illustrated and the text is easy to read, with aims and learning outcomes clearly stated at the beginning of each chapter, to ensure that the reader has understood the contents.

The introductory chapter provides a pertinent overview of the rationale for indirect restorations and outlines the common reasons for their failure. The second chapter addresses the clinical indications for crowns and takes into account the difficulties that may be encountered clinically. The third chapter is devoted to the restoration of broken down teeth using cores and describes various techniques for obtaining core retention. The selection of post and core materials is also discussed in this chapter. Chapter four discusses the factors that need to be considered when choosing indirect restorations, and outlines the properties of the various materials used for making crowns. Chapter five covers aspects of tooth preparations for a range of materials used for extracoronal and intracoronal indirect restorations. The methods used to increase retention are also addressed in this chapter. Chapter six provides a succinct overview of the clinical stages of shade taking, provisional restorations, impressions and cementation of indirect restorations. Available luting cements are discussed in sequence describing their benefits. Chapter seven commences with an overview of the occlusal aspects relevant to the provision of extracoronal restorations and discusses the types of occlusal approaches that can be used, depending on the complexity of the clinical case. The penultimate chapter provides an overview of the causes and management of shortened clinical crowns, including the clinical difficulties often encountered in such situations, and the concluding chapter highlights the importance of understanding when and how to use an articulator. Various aspects of interocclusal records and the use of a facebow are also addressed in this chapter.

For those interested, suggestions for additional reading are included at the end of each chapter.

In summary, this book is interesting and well written; it achieves what it sets out to do and provides a good overview of the topic. I would recommend this book to final year dental students and dental practitioners. It is also a useful addition to any dental library, and the authors are to be congratulated.