Om Prakash Kharbanda; 2019; Elsevier; £84.62; pp. 1280; ISBN: 9788131248812

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Orthodontics has transmogrified into a vast subject owing to the immeasurable amount of research work taking place in the last century. With the improvement of socio-economic parameters, more and more individuals are perturbed about their smile and dental cosmetics, thereby making it a responsibility of an orthodontist or dental practitioner to keep themselves abreast with the ceaseless amount of research, and evolving trends in treatment modalities.

This book is structured into 28 sections covering 80 chapters. The initial chapters are focused on the history of orthodontic science and fundamentals of orthodontic care. Thereafter, the pivot shifts to the growth of face and craniofacial concepts giving an insight into prenatal, postnatal, and the molecular influence on growth.

The chapters in the subsequent sections clearly spell out the need for an accurate diagnosis, and maintenance of diagnostic records, with extensive information on the photographic requisites and DSLR handling instructions. The book then crisply courses through the cephalometric section and various advancements in digital orthodontics, providing sufficient cephalometric information required for diagnosis, steering clear of jargon.

In the next section, the book gives detailed information on removable orthodontic appliances, including their fabrication. An elaborate discussion is presented on invisible removable appliances in the next chapter, with special focus on the Invisalign system. However, lingual appliances with biomechanics could have been briefly mentioned for a better comprehension of appliances. Each malocclusion has its own dedicated section, covering the topic elaborately from aetiology to diagnosis and treatment planning.

The chapter on orthodontists' roles in upper airway disorders has been more elaborated with recent advancements in the field, and an attempt has been made to sensitise the orthodontist to play a more active role in management of this serious medical condition. The section on surgical aspects of orthodontic treatment has two chapters giving intricate information on surgical treatment modalities like distraction osteogenesis. All chapters include useful case-based clinical treatment steps and an array of colourful diagrams and clinical photographs to further enhance learning. The hardcover is supplemented with a MedEnact complimentary e-book version making it convenient to read anywhere with numerous videos demystifying the mechanics of tooth movement.

Overall, the latest edition of this book is holistically written providing an in depth knowledge on all the aspects of orthodontics, making it a valuable study companion for dental students, postgraduate students and practitioners.

Sagar Dahiya & Rajat Mitra