Community oral health

  • C. Pine &
  • R. Harris
UK: Quintessence price £50.00; pp 306 ISBN 9781850970927 | ISBN: 978-1-8509-7092-7

This book is the second edition of Community oral health and was published in 2007; it is aimed at training dental undergraduate and graduate students in public health. The book aims to provide a comprehensive overview in the field of community oral health (dental public health) and to provide evidence supporting this topic for the use of oral health professionals.

There are a total of 19 chapters divided into four sections: public health, epidemiology, oral health promotion and health sciences. Each chapter is opened with a chapter overview and list of key words; these key words then feature in bold throughout the text. Chapters are concluded with a question, and an ideal structured answer is given. This provides a very useful summary, and revision aid.

There are good links to an extensive number of references. The reader is also provided with further recommended reading and websites to seek up-to-date information on current public health issues such as water fluoridation policies in the UK.

Chapters are long, and due to the lack of colour and photographs this book is not always easy reading. Many figures and tables support the text throughout, and these are generally well explained and aid the reader's understanding of the topic.

Many of the topics link clinical aspects of dentistry to public health which makes interesting reading and provides a refreshing review of topics such as diet advice and fluoridation. Linking aspects of dental public health to clinical topics such as dental caries, tooth wear and oral cancer increases its relevance and makes the topic easier to grasp.

The major drawback of this book is that it lacks an index. Since the book is most likely to be used by undergraduates, or as a method of studying, an index would allow quick access to the information required.

Overall this book is an interesting read, and a good source of public health information in relation to dental care. The book provides a variety of interesting evidence supporting dental public health, making this book relevant to all dental care professionals.