Reviews | British Dental Journal

AN ATLAS OF GLASS — IONOMER CEMENTS: A CLINICIAN’S GUIDE * _G. J. Mount_ London: Martin Dunitz, 2002 price £59.95, pp 201 ISBN 1841840696 | ISBN: 1-841-84069-6 This book is a compilation of

experience and scholarship in the subject, spanning some 25 years. The author is a leading authority on glass-ionomer cements, for which he has gained international respect. This third

edition is a significant improvement over its predecessors, which were already excellent accounts of these materials, and incorporates the latest developments. This most comprehensive of

editions is well presented and the attention to detail is excellent. The author demonstrates his total understanding of both the subject matter and the practical aspects of these somewhat

complex materials. The inclusion of a chapter on the biological aspects of these materials is a distinct highlight. The book assembles information on both clinical and technical aspects of

glass-ionomer cements. There are specific chapters to deal with handling the different types of these materials. The text is well written, and well illustrated with clinical examples and

photographs. The huge number of colour clinical photographs (in spite of one series used in two different chapters: chapters two and five) also includes restorations photographed 12 – 15

years after placement! It is a very practical guide, with clinical steps throughout, right down to the essential basics of mixing. As the importance of mixing is fundamental to the

performance of the material, this topic is repetitive, appearing in an earlier chapter on the general description of the materials and again in the final chapter dedicated to dental

assistants. The occasional text box to emphasize essential information in bullet points works well. The clinical nature of the text is interspersed with the science of the subject,

microscopic images and essential references where relevant. This is often not a feature of many clinically oriented books. The penultimate chapter discusses the use of these materials in

minimal cavity designs, based on a proposed new classification designed to indicate lesion site and size. The last chapter is devoted to instructions to dental assistants, an unusual but

essential component of any practical guide. In conclusion, this book is as the title suggests: a clinician's guide, based on sound principles and a knowledge of the science involved. It

reflects the spirit and enthusiasm of the author. S. K. SIDHU [BR 5020] IMPLANTS IN RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY Edited by: * _G. M. Scortecci, _ * _C. E. Misch & _ * _K-U. Benner_ (Eds)

London: Martin Dunitz, 2001 price £125.00, pp480 ISBN 1853177032 | ISBN: 1-853-17703-2 This large book comprises 466 pages of text, 22 chapters and over 600 quality illustrations. There are

28 contributing authors and while English is not (presumably) the first language of the majority of the contributors, the translation is good and only a few typographic errors remain. The

book is divided into four parts: Part I reviews anchorage for dental implants; Part II considers diagnosis and treatment planning; Part III illustrates clinical situations and Part IV

concludes with the prevention and management of complications. The authors cover their subjects comprehensively and readers will find much of interest. This is particularly true of the

chapters devoted to general topics, applicable to most implant types. Two implant systems are promoted, namely the 'structure' and 'diskimplant' systems. The structure

system is the more conventional of the two: the titanium screw implant is of root-form type and is placed using a crestal approach. In contrast, the diskimplant is a combination of a

root-form implant and a horizontal plate-form implant. The disk is fixed to the apex of the cylindrical component of the implant, at right-angles to it. Thus, the implant has an inverted

'T' shape in profile. In this form, crestal placement is impossible and lateral placement through the buccal/labial cortical plate is described. This implant is available with

various disk diameters and with single, double or even triple disk arrangements. The clinical radiographs illustrating multiple double- and triple-disk diskimplants in bone are noteworthy

and caused one colleague to enquire whether a patient so treated could receive digital television broadcasts unaided by electronic equipment! The diskimplant is designed for use in clinical

situations where root-form implants would not be appropriate, in particular, where inadequate bone depth or quality exist. Many clinical case reports and some clinical trials are cited in

support of this system. Since this reviewer has no direct clinical experience of the system he is unwilling to comment further. While the reader will find much of general interest in this

book, it will prove most suitable for those wishing to explore techniques involving the diskimplant and structure implant systems. S. DUNNE [BR5029] CONCEPTS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY * _R. Bhopal_

Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002 price £27.50, pp 317 ISBN 0192631551 | ISBN: 0-192-63155-1 This short textbook of epidemiology is aptly subtitiled 'an integrated introduction to

the ideas, theories, principles and methods of epidemiology.' It argues cogently that epidemiology is a distinct science serving medicine and public health, just as do other medical

sciences such as pathology and microbiology, and proceeds from that premise. In the foreword, John Last, compiler of the standard work _A Dictionary of Epidemiology_, reminds us that the

author critically reviewed 25 textbooks of epidemiology before embarking on his own treatment of the subject. The book is intended primarily for postgraduates beginning courses on

epidemiology and the author claims that the core of the book could be grasped in ten days of committed study, preferably within a taught course, but also independently. The key word is

'committed' because even somebody with prior knowledge and experience might find parts of the book not particularly easy to read. One of the book's great strengths is that at

the beginning of each of the ten chapters, the objectives are clearly stated in the form of a list of concepts or topics that the reader should understand by the end of that chapter.

Moreover, there is a liberal sprinkling of boxes containing challenging questions which exercise the reader's reasoning capacity vigorously before the author goes on to discuss the

approaches and answers to these particular questions. An unusual feature is the virtual absence of algebraic formulae, apart from the basic equations for calculating SMRs, relative risk,

odds ratios, etc. The less numerate may find this of benefit. Instead, the author advises readers to consult a textbook of biostatistics wherever further understanding of the statistical

aspects of an epidemiological method is required. However, this may at times be counterproductive since, for example, introducing the statistical concepts of regression and correlation using

scatter diagrams and simple basic equations, could perhaps help to better explain the nature of association and causation. Elsewhere, however, many simple pictorial diagrams are provided to

advantage to help elucidate the ideas underlying various epidemiological approaches. Although the handling of some topics appears somewhat superficial, 'study design' being an

instance, in general the book fulfils its aims well. It can be recommended, not only to the target readership, but to many others with, perhaps, a more casual interest in the explanation of

the distribution of diseases in human populations, and the understanding of their causes, prevention and control. MARTIN C DOWNER [BR5042] OSSEOINTEGRATION AND ESTHETICS IN SINGLE TOOTH

REHABILITATION * _C. E. Francishone, _ * _L. W. Vasconcelos & _ * _P-I. Brånemark_ London: Quintessence Publishing, 2000 price £71.00, pp206 ISBN 8587425358 | ISBN: 8-587-42535-8 This

book sets out to cover the subject area of osseointegration in single tooth replacement. It is the result of collaboration between three Brånemark Osseointegration Centres in Göteberg,

Sweden, University Sagrado Coração, Bauru, Brazil and São Paulo, Brazil. The two Brazilian authors are specialists working in the area of implantology. The book contains 16 chapters

commencing with an introduction of osseointegration and its benefits. This progresses to treatment planning and restorative alternatives in single tooth rehabilitation. The middle section of

the book then looks at clinical stages of the implant provision mainly from the restorative prospective. The remaining chapters cover a range of subjects from aesthetic considerations to

the use of the CerAdapt and TiAdapt abutments. The application of the Procera system with CAD/CAM technology is covered in the final chapter. The strengths of the book are reliant on the

high quality presentation that is associated with Quintessence. The picture reproduction is excellent and this, combined with the good photographic views, result in a visually appealing

book. It is very easy to pick the book up and browse through the clinical pictures. Each set of clinical procedures are easy to follow and the experienced clinician will certainly find

useful tips and procedures. It is fortunate that the book over relies on the pictorial approach as the text is uneven and in places difficult to read. The style of chapter one, which sets

the scene for the book, contains awkward sentences. This contrasts to chapter two which has a much better feel to its general presentation. I feel more overall editorial control would have

balanced the different styles that inevitably result from the contributions of a number of authors. The content and the linking of the chapters also suffer from this lack of editorial

control. The latter stages of the book appear to be single chapters, which do not link together and there is no summary to help put the book in the context of other literature on the

subject. In conclusion a beautifully produced book which contains some stunning pictures. Unfortunately it is let down by poor editorial control of the overall content. This is a shame

because the authors do have much to contribute to the dental literature. However that opportunity has been lost in this edition but I hope that it is realised in future publications by the

team. DAMIEN WALMSEY [BR5045] RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS ARTICLE Reviews. _Br Dent J_ 193, 236–237 (2002).

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