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Successful Periodontal Therapy: A Non- Surgical Approach

This book—a guide to the nonsurgical management of patients with gingival and periodontal diseases—is the third in a series of five books designed for use by the general dental practitioner. It is organized so that it can be used as a quick reference for treatment protocols, instruments, diagnostic aids, and medications. Its modified outline format is similar to that used by "High-Yield" books, which have been very successful in other disciplines.

The first chapter covers the goals and objectives of nonsurgical treatment. Subsequent chapters describe medications, strategies, and techniques for achieving successful nonsurgical treatment, including descriptions of the hygiene phase (and appropriate instruments), management of systemic and local risk factors, and adjunctive treatments. The final chapter discusses supportive periodontal care.

Each chapter begins with a section on the aims and objectives of that chapter. Following excellent introductions to each topic, subsequent sections are illustrated with high-quality drawings, color photographs, radiographs, and scanning electron micrographs. The conclusions are summarized at the end of each chapter and are also highlighted by either relevant tables or diagrams. Each chapter concludes with a list of relevant references. Several chapters contain cartoons, which provide humorous interludes for the reader. The modified outline format and the extensive index found in this textbook make the information quick and easy to find.

In my opinion, most of the information in this book would only be useful following a basic course in periodontics. However, Chapter 4 (Managing Systemic Risk Factors) addresses a significant clinical consideration and could easily be understood by the novice student. This chapter outlines some critical risk factors, such as genetics, environment (including other medications), behavior (such as smoking), lifestyle (such as stress), and metabolic diseases (including diabetes mellitus) for periodontitis, and emphasizes the importance of treating these risk factors either prior to or concurrently with the periodontal disease. This chapter also includes a useful description of smoking cessation therapeutic techniques.

This small, focused, concise, and well-indexed book should be a useful reference for the general dentist or dental hygienist because it makes important information relevant to nonsurgical periodontal therapy so easy to find, even during a patient visit. In addition, several of the diagrams and pictures make excellent visual aids for patient education. These include diagrams of the diseased periodontium and of the Bass method of toothbrushing, photographs of proper flossing technique, and illustrations of specialized cleaning devices, such as interdental brushes. In my opinion, the book would be both an excellent adjunct text for the undergraduate student and a useful addition to the library of any dentist interested in providing periodontal care in a general practice. Some sections may also interest the graduate dental hygienist. I plan to include it in my personal library because its concise format makes rapid access to information very convenient.

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Johnson, R. B. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Johnson, R. B.