N. Wilson, S. Gelbier. BDA price £6.95; pp 120 ISBN

9781291769067

This book is in the third in a series of five British Dental Association witness seminars which were held in 2011. The content is an edited transcription of a seminar chaired by Nairn Wilson and Stanley Gelbier. The contributing group included a range of dental care professionals who offered a wealth of knowledge and information and included everyone from dental therapists to orthodontists and even the former Chief Dental Officer. Through progressive, structured discussions and individual opinion, the history and advancements of dental auxiliaries, assistants, nurses and therapists were well explored and explained. This book, therefore, has a wide audience and is aimed at all dental professionals who have a keen interest in the history of dental professionals and their relative journeys from the 1930s to today.

As the book is based on an open table discussion there are no set chapters and instead a steady movement from topic to topic is presented in chronological order. This is almost similar to reading a script and so requires attention to follow the path of conversation. This makes it an enjoyable read and interesting points are bought up throughout the text with a personal influence from the individual contributor's experiences.

It very clearly explains how the dental experience has changed from a predominately male-dominated profession in a single surgery environment to a multi-disciplinary team event with numerous variations depending on the treatment being provided and the various ways in which this can be offered with the diverse skill mix.

Overall this book does provide the relevant information in a suitable format and it very well achieves its intended aims. This provides an accessible resource to more fully understand how changes in dental-related education, qualifications and roles have developed over the years and, subtlety, it suggests how these roles may continue to change in the future. Of course with no illustrations or diagrams, the more visual reader may find this less interesting and so for that, a visit to the BDA museum is well recommended to supplement this text!