Article
This well-structured, easily accessible text on Oral Medicine is clearly written and illustrated with high quality clinical photographs.
The 17 chapters, which run to over 120 pages, cover topics including oral ulceration, salivary gland disease, halitosis, white, red and pigmented lesions, orofacial sensation, movement and pain and also lumps and swellings at various orofacial anatomical sites. Additionally, the book benefits from significant radiology content, with 4 of the 17 chapters addressing radiological aspects of bone disease, odontogenic cysts and tumours and antral disease. The inclusion of this amount of radiological detail is relatively unusual in an Oral Medicine text, and is a valuable feature of this book.
Topics are generally discussed under the headings of aetiopathogenesis, clinical features, diagnosis, investigations and management. As well as the helpful clinical photographs, there are numerous summary boxes, providing quickly accessible key points and other salient details. The authors cite useful references to websites and patient information.
A particularly useful chapter is that on orofacial sensation and movement, which details the functions and testing of the cranial nerves in a very succinct and easy to understand fashion. This chapter also describes the clinical features of cranial nerve pathology and its possible causes.
The book aims to provide a concise reference source for the management of a variety of oral conditions, addressing their identification, diagnosis, treatment within the primary dental care setting and gives guidance on referrals. It certainly achieves these aims, but equally would be a useful undergraduate reference in view of its succinct, easily accessible format and practical approach.
In summary, this book contains a wealth of information which is presented in a succinct and easily accessible manner. It provides useful practical advice on the clinical management of a wide variety of Oral Medicine conditions which may be encountered within the primary care setting. It represents excellent value for money and would be a valuable addition to any general dental practitioner's reference library, as well as that of other healthcare providers and undergraduate dental students.