Introduction

The book Care of head and neck cancer patients for dental hygienists and dental therapists was published by Wiley-Blackwell in January this year. It is edited by Jocelyn J. Harding, a dental hygienist in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, UK. She has over 30 years' experience in dentistry, qualifying in the Royal Navy in 1992, and is currently studying for her MSc in Advanced and Specialist Healthcare at the University of Kent. Jocelyn has also written for BDJ Team.1,2

BDJ Team asked two dental care professionals (DCPs) to review this new book.

figure 1

Book review 1

By Emma Miller, dental therapist, BSc Oral Health Science

figure 2

Jocelyn Harding has captured and explored the knowledge and experiences of skilled healthcare providers and patients alike, to develop this fabulously informative and insightful book.

As the title suggests this book is primarily aimed towards dental hygienists and dental therapists, however, there is such a breadth of knowledge within its pages that all members of the dental team are sure to find it informative.

The literature is well structured and thought out. It is broken down into five main sections, each containing multiple short chapters. This provides the reader with a manageable amount of information and makes for easy reading. The format is clearly defined in the Table of Contents which, coupled with the index, makes the material easy to navigate. Throughout the text there are a variety of explanatory diagrams and images which aid the reader's understanding. For example, anatomy diagrams, pre and post-operative images of cancerous lesions, surgical images taken during dissections, pathological slides, and images of equipment. These stark images amplify the reality facing cancer patients and help those of us indirectly involved in the cancer care pathway to understand the severity of such treatments required. Some of the surgical images are not for the faint-hearted.

Although each chapter provides a substantial amount of helpful information, Section 5, which includes Patient Experiences, provides a volume of resonance. The openness and honesty of the personal accounts recorded are humbling yet heart-wrenching. This section provides a fragment of insight into what life is like, from receiving the cancer diagnosis, through treatment, complications and the years that follow; even with which the rest of us cannot fully comprehend. Special thanks must be given to those individuals who shared these detailed accounts, and to Jocelyn for collating and documenting this invaluable information.

There is a vast wealth of knowledge and experience captured within this book. It would be impossible not to gain from it.

I would recommend this book to all members of the dental team: dental nurses, hygienists, therapists, dentists - everyone. There is a vast wealth of knowledge and experience captured within this book. It would be impossible not to gain from it. The text also reiterates the importance of carrying out extraoral and intraoral cancer screening competently at every opportunity.

In the Preface, Jocelyn explains her determination 'to find and collate practical information for patients and healthcare professionals to support evidence-based preventative care and treatment pathways for head and neck cancer patients and survivors'. In my opinion, Jocelyn has excelled at achieving this goal, and has developed a wonderfully informative piece of literature which will benefit all dental professionals.

Book review 2

By Saloni Garg, a dental hygienist in West Sussex

figure 3

The book is not only for dental hygienists and therapists but is intended for all health care professionals who interact with cancer patients.

Undergraduate medical and dental students must be introduced early to carcinoma diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. This early experience would help them prepare for and conduct oral cancer examinations successfully.3

Patient counselling and education have become the backbone of prevention, care, and management of any healthcare issues that plague the modern human population.

In the UK, mouth cancer affects about 8,300 individuals annually; one in every 50 cases of diagnosed cancer are found intraorally.4

As a dental hygienist, I was very pleased to see a special section of this book highlighting the detection and prevention of skin cancer, and the role of dental hygienists in this. It gives a very detailed and specific description of skin cancers' anatomy, pathology, and diagnosis based on this information. It also includes details about preventing and promoting skin health and how a hygienist can play a role in this patient education and awareness endeavour.

The book also highlights how smoking and vaping play a role in the development and progress of oral cancers which is very closely related to all dental care providers. The two special sections on smoking and the impact of substance dependence on oral health highlights modern risk factors such as electronic cigarettes and their impact on cancer. This is very important as there is a very steep increase in the use of these new products affecting oral health and a lack of information and education that can be provided to dental patients regarding why they should avoid them.

The book also includes a section on the impact of a positive cancer diagnosis on the mental health of patients and their families. These include real-life examples of how life and priorities change after a person is diagnosed with cancer. In my opinion, the inclusion of such little discussed and yet very important aspects of patients gives this publication a very well-rounded, inclusive, and holistic approach to cancer diagnosis and management which is very important for modern-day healthcare providers.

The book also shines when it comes to the inclusion of modern approaches to cancer treatment such as proton therapy, trans-oral robotic surgery, and photo biomodulation therapy. This provides the readers with a strong understanding of modern-day cancer treatments available to patients and the role they can play in making patients aware and comfortable with these modern treatment modalities.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that the book is a complete and up-to-date guide to understanding, learning, and diagnosing various types of carcinomas. It encompasses a wide range of topics related to not only detection and diagnosis but also patient management, care, patient education, and improving patient awareness. This makes the book a must-read for professionals like me who can play an important role in the diagnosis and management of cancer but to whom the knowledge isn't provided as a primary part of their professional life.