Interdisciplinary treatment planning

  • M. Cohen
UK: Quintessence price £173.00; pp 568 ISBN 9780867154740 | ISBN: 978-0-8671-5474-0

This is the first edition of this textbook edited by Dr Michael Cohen with contributions from 17 clinicians.

It is not the first title of its kind. In an era of clinical scenario-based learning an increasing number of authors have assumed this popular editing style. Its aim is to present cases from all major specialties of dentistry with an emphasis on, as the title suggests, a multidisciplinary team approach.

It is divided into 17 sections where each chapter stands alone. The clinicians presenting their individual cases introduce themselves and their area of interest in a section termed 'Philosophy and background' before a lengthy pre-presentation of the decision making key points. Extensive anatomy and biomolecular science issues are explored vis-à-vis the disease process encountered in the patient. A significant part of each scenario is devoted to the initial patient consultation which is presented to the reader along with dental casts, clinical photographs and radiographs. The book content is extremely well illustrated, with pre and post clinical radiographs and photographs accompanying the decision-making steps of the dentist.

The book's audience is probably quite limited with the treatment proposed probably too complex to be undertaken in a primary care setting. Also, the disease naming and tooth numbering system used indicates the book is more intended for the American market.

A great deal of the treatment proposed involves radical preparation of tooth tissue and extraction of otherwise healthy teeth to accommodate multiple implant placements. This practice, though of some clinical merit, may contradict current undergraduate teaching in the UK which values the preservation of the patient's own dentition.

Ultimately, though well intentioned, in my opinion this book is unworkable both in terms of size and content. At just over 5 kg with its illustrious cover, it is a behemoth in a world of pocket sized clinical dentistry books. However, the clinical pictures which are found in abundance can be used as an undergraduate teaching tool or potentially as a useful reference in a restorative department library.