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Essentials of Esthetic Dentistry/Minimally Invasive Esthetics Volume 3
The notes from the series editor, Professor Brian Millar, commence by stating that aesthetic dentistry is a complex subject, requiring, in many ways, differing skills from those required for disease-focused clinical care. He adds, however, that aesthetic dentistry is part of everyday dentistry. Absolutely! Our patients are increasingly requesting the best aesthetics, not only in restorations in their anterior teeth, but also in their posterior teeth. I have no doubt that this trend will continue. This book is therefore highly relevant to general dental practice today.
Chapter one, by Michael Thomas, sets out the common clinical conditions requiring minimally invasive aesthetic intervention and begins with a most useful table on causes of discoloration. The cases illustrated are those which will be seen in everyday clinical practice in the UK – this is not a book for the abstract, one-off case.
Chapter two is a tour de force on all aspects of bleaching by Martin Kelleher, outlining how hydrogen peroxide works, the safety of carbamide peroxide, causes of sensitivity, and managing patient expectations, among other matters. In the typical non-confrontational style which we have come to know and love from Martin, he advises the reader that toothpaste can only remove superficial stain and that the maximum hydrogen peroxide level allowed in toothpastes (0.1%) is useless for bleaching!
Chapter three, also by Martin Kelleher, is a super review, covering 45 pages, of how actually to carry out successful bleaching. The patients' FAQ section is a must for any practice. Indeed, the book is worth the money for this chapter alone!
Two superb clinicians from The Netherlands, Alma Dozic and Hein de Kloet, head up chapters four and five with a demonstration of the breadth of clinical situations which may be treated using direct placement resin composite restorations, albeit with the authors' warning that the restorations need to be reviewed regularly and refurbished/repaired on occasion. Five in-depth clinical cases are presented, each with superb results. This reviewer picked up a tip in case 5, an innovative use of the Automatrix system for an anterior composite!
Chapter six, written by Jorien Hamburger, Niek Opdam and Bas Loomans, also from The Netherlands, discusses and demonstrates the minimally invasive treatment of toothwear, and the same authors present, in depth, their clinical methods in the description of a serious case of toothwear in chapter seven.
UK readers will be well aware of the superb aesthetic treatments that Louis MacKenzie presents, so the results achieved in chapter eight will not be a surprise when he describes several cases in which missing teeth are replaced by resin-bonded bridgework. Guidelines for success with such bridges are also presented while, in chapter nine, Louis shows us how to do it using fibre-reinforced bridgework, giving details of three cases.
Throughout, the book is lavishly illustrated with a wide array of clinical cases. These are not showboat cases but cases with lessons which can be learnt and included in everyday general dental practice. I cannot imagine that there is a dentist who will not pick up tips and ideas from reading this book – many will pay five times the cost of the book for a day course and come away with much less. All the authors and editors are to be commended for a superb presentation. It is great value for the price.