Margaret J. Fehrenbach and Susan W. Herring. Elsevier 2016 price £56.69 pp 352 ISBN

9780323396349

This is the fifth edition of the Illustrated anatomy of the head and neck by authors Margaret J. Fehrenbach and Susan W. Herring. This book has 12 comprehensive chapters and comprises over 300 pages.

The book is well-written with an appropriate level of detail which keeps the reader engaged. The start of each chapter outlines key objectives and key terms which enable the reader to direct his/her attention and also to reflect on the content of each chapter after reading. The authors aim to provide more than basic anatomy in this book and are successful in doing so. They keep the momentum throughout each chapter by using easy to read text and clever formatting, and ending each chapter with review questions and identification exercises.

As one would expect with a book on anatomy, there are numerous images: a combination of dissections, clinical photos and colour illustrations, which work together in reinforcing a three-dimensional understanding of the anatomy. The tables and flow charts used throughout the text help with the assimilation of the complex anatomy of the head and neck.

As a general dental practitioner, I particularly enjoyed reading the clinical considerations found at the end of each chapter which increased my understanding of the relevance of anatomy in clinical scenarios. The chapter on the temporomandibular joint was a delight to read as it described this complex joint and its functions in a clear, succinct manner. The authors have done a good job with the local anaesthesia and spread of infection chapters, providing clinically relevant information which would form a useful reference for any student or dental practitioner.

I would recommend this book to every medical and dental student who wishes to gain the knowledge and understanding of the anatomical structures of the head and neck, and to every dental practice as a reference text.