Stephen Davies; 2022; Springer; £119.99; pp. 306; ISBN: 978-3-030-79225-1

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The first edition of this book was published in 2002 as A clinical guide to occlusion. It was a collection of a series of ten articles that had been published in the British Dental Journal. The format of this second edition remains the same; however, each chapter has been revised and expanded with some chapters now including illustrated case studies.

The book consists of 306 pages and 13 chapters and is generously illustrated throughout. The introductory chapters provide a description of the component parts of the occlusal system and of jaw and tooth relationships. Good practice in relation to systematic clinical assessment and recording of the dental occlusion is described.

Subsequent chapters provide detailed descriptions of what constitutes good occlusal practice in all disciplines of restorative dentistry from the simplest intra-coronal restoration to the complexities of restoration of the worn dentition and dental implant retained restorations. Two additional chapters describe good occlusal practice in orthodontics and paediatric dentistry. There is also a short chapter on bruxism that was not included in the first edition.

Even though the book has multiple contributors, there is a good consistency of style between chapters. This is helped by the way that each chapter begins with clearly stated aims and concludes with a short list of guidelines for good clinical practice. Successive chapters build on the guidelines from the preceding chapters, resulting at the end of the book in the comprehensive list of the 'Guidelines of good occlusal practice' that is the book's philosophy of good occlusal practice.

The BDJ Clinician's Guides series aims to support dental undergraduates and newly qualified clinicians and to act as a refresher for more experienced dentists. Dental occlusion is an area where all the above may benefit from help. This updated book is full of practical clinical information. It is generally up-to-date and evidence-based and is a valuable addition to the series.

Robert Jagger