Book review

Paediatric Dentistry 5th edn Richard Welbury, Monty S Duggal, Marie Thérèse Hosey (eds). Oxford University Press, 2018 (408 pp, £53 p/b). ISBN 9780198789277.

Paediatric Dentistry is now in its fifth edition, which says a lot for the editorial team and its expert contributors in the specialties of Paediatric Dentistry, Orthodontics, Oral Surgery, Special Care Dentistry, Periodontology, Endodontology and Genetics. The format remains unchanged. It consists of 18 chapters covering all aspects of Paediatric Dentistry and the interface with other specialties. The chapters are interspersed with key points throughout and has a summary at the end to reinforce learning and understanding. Each chapter has been thoroughly updated with reference to new guidelines and key publications. The text is well supported with colour photographs, figures and tables.

There have been some changes since the fourth edition. There are many new contributors. ‘Safeguarding Children’ which appeared as a new chapter in the 4th edition includes further information on what happens after a referral to social services. The chapter on ‘Management of Pain and Anxiety’ incorporates recent guidelines on sedation, updating protocols, checklists and requirements for training. The chapter on ‘Local Anaesthesia for Children’ now includes maximum dose calculations for children. There are also expanded sections on equipment, including computer-controlled local anaesthetic devices and devices which employ vibrating needles. Techniques and complications have also been expanded upon. ‘Operative Treatment of Dental Caries in Primary Teeth’ now discusses the preventive only and biological approaches and includes an illustrated step-by-step approach for placement of Hall crowns. ‘Operative Treatment of Dental Caries in the Young Permanent Dentition’ gives consideration for more conservative management of early occlusal and approximal caries. It also includes options for preservation of first permanent molars with extensive dental caries. In the chapter ‘Traumatic Injuries to the Teeth’, apexification with calcium hydroxide is no longer recommended and has been replaced by expanded sections on apexification with Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA) technique and the Regenerative Endodontic Technique (RET). It includes the current recommended technique for RET based on the best available evidence. The chapter on ‘Oral Pathology and Oral Surgery’ has been renamed ‘Oral Medicine and Oral Surgery’ and includes a new section on salivary gland infections. The chapter on medical disabilities introduces the role of Low-Level Light Therapy (LLLT) in the management of oral mucositis in children undergoing chemotherapy.