Book review

  • F. Dowd
(ed) Elsevier Price $79.95 pp 488 ISBN 9780323225687 | ISBN: 978-0-3232-2568-7

The national board dental exam (NBDE), which consists of two parts, is the mandatory examination undertaken by dentists in order to practice in the United States. Mosby's Review for the NBDE Part II (2nd edition) aims to help the reader pass the 500 question multiple choice paper for the second section of the NBDE.

The content of the review consists of nine chapters covering the basic biomedical and dental sciences which the paper seeks to examine. Chapters included are endodontics, operative dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery/pain control, oral diagnosis, orthodontics and paediatric dentistry, patient management, periodontics, pharmacology and prosthodontics. At the end of each chapter there are practice exam questions and a further bank of questions on each topic. The answer sections give clear explanations of why the answer is correct, both consolidating the readers knowledge and aiding in the learning process.

The review draws its content from prominent texts and rightly advocates that these texts along with additional resources should be sought for comprehensive understanding of the topics. The bullet point layout allows for information to be easily digested and for the reader to focus on areas of their choice. However, many chapters contain long spans of text with few images or figures which can lead to an uninspiring read. Images that are present, although clear, would benefit from the inclusion of colour.

The review is, of course, a summary of the aforementioned topics. In places it can seem a bit like a 'whistle stop tour' especially the paediatric chapter. Equally many chapters within the review are quite detailed providing the reader with an in-depth knowledge of the subject matter, for example the pharmacology chapter. Highlights of the book include the section on terms used in dental literature, material science, and professional responsibility and liability; topics less commonly discussed in other review texts.

Although primarily aimed at candidates for the NBDE exam, the review is a useful revision aid to students studying for final exams, MFDS, MJDF and a useful one book refresher for working dentists. UK readers must be cautious of the variations in guidance between the two countries. For example, the differing available local anaesthetic quantities, the differing management of oral antral communications and the differing dental care delivery systems. Additionally, slight variations in terms can sometimes introduce confusion, although for the most part it is of minor importance.