Padhraig Fleming and Jadbinder Seehra; 2019; Springer; £74.99; pp. 160; ISBN: 978-3-030-12164-8

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The provision of orthodontics has seen significant changes in recent times. With increasing awareness from patients, the use of aligners, and the way treatment is delivered, more recent marketing has been aimed directly at patients, and appliances are being sent directly to patients without a face to face clinical examination. Despite all of this, the majority of comprehensive orthodontic care is still undertaken with fixed appliance systems bonded to teeth. As a result, this book is a timely reminder of the nuances of this vital part of an orthodontist's armamentarium.

This book covers a large scope of fixed orthodontic care, taking the reader through the entire treatment process, doing this in a clear and concise manner. Both authors are widely published academic clinicians with a strong patient facing background, and as such this book strikes a good balance between clinical practice and an evidence base.

The authors describe the complete treatment process involved in the provision of fixed appliance therapy, starting with chapters on appliance choice and instruments used, with a particular focus on the preadjusted edgewise system largely used in the UK. The key stages of orthodontic treatment are then discussed in turn, including alignment, space redistribution, overbite reduction, space closure, and finishing. There is a specific chapter dedicated to the art of wire bending which can sometimes be the most challenging aspect of orthodontic treatment.

I applaud the authors' attempts to include pictures of instruments in use during different treatment protocols, however, demonstrating precise movements with photographs alone is challenging, and I wonder whether future editions could utilise references to appropriate video resources. Also, in the age of adult orthodontics, it may have been useful to add a section within the book regarding bonding appliances to restored surface such as porcelain, amalgam and composite.

Overall, however, this was a well curated book with important information laid out in an easy-to-follow way, and should be essential reading for all those involved in providing fixed orthodontic care for patients. I would highly recommend this book for those undergoing specialist training in orthodontics or orthodontic therapy, as well as a reference book for those providing fixed appliance treatment on a regular basis in their clinical practice.

Sameer Patel