Oral and maxillofacial medicine

  • C. Scully
Churchill Livingstone price £49.99; pp 448 ISBN 9780702049484 | ISBN: 978-0-7020-4948-4

This is a fantastic and beautifully progressive book. However, it is no real surprise as Professor Scully's previous two editions excelled. The first edition was awarded first prize for a new authored book in 2004 by the Royal Society of Medicine and Society of Authors, and the second edition was highly commended in the British Medical Association Book Awards in 2009. It is fair to say he has not disappointed with a third edition. Ever open to suggestion, the author asked his readers for areas of improvement but was puzzled when he received none! Not wishing to accept this, the third edition is built on peer recommendations. It discusses cutting edge areas of adverse drug reactions and genetic influences in oral facial disorders.

The brilliance of this book for me is its accessibility. There are now clearly delineated 'learning aims and objectives` alongside the original 'intended learning outcomes`. These help those using this publication as a textbook. However, for clinicians wanting to utilise a quick, easy, accessible reference book complete with pictures and flow charts for ease of diagnosis then this book will prove valuable too.

For the busy GDP this book is a must for the bookshelf; it provides everything from handy, pull-out information for patients to history-taking and examination skills. Refreshingly, there are also useful mnemonics. For example, the causes of mouth ulcers can be remembered as the amusing, 'So Many Laws and Directives' standing for 'Systemic, Malignancy, Local and Drugs'. This allows for logical diagnosis and treatment planning.

Importantly, there is a new section dealing exclusively with cancers and potentially malignant disorders. This, coupled with the reordering of the already excellent material on common complaints and important orofacial conditions, instantly helps when deciding the urgency of any referral.

For those who find themselves in a hospital setting, the additional information regarding treatment agents is useful. The book also indicates a level of evidence when deciding on treatment agents for patients. This is important as many are prescribed 'off-label'. In addition to this the useful websites listed at the end of chapters provide an electronic extension for those wishing to explore the subject further.

This publication gives a unique insight into the wonderful mind of its author. It is the product of Professor Crispian Scully's many years of clinical and teaching experience, in the vast and varied field of oral and maxillofacial medicine.