Primary Preventive Dentistry, Sixth Edition

This book is an excellent resource for professional dental care teams wishing to have immediate access to up to date information about preventive dental care topics. This volume also includes specifics about Internet resources, which allows dentists, hygienists and dental assistants to research key topics even further.

We especially appreciated all the information about nutrition and the role that it plays in preventive dental care - and the one that it plays in developing periodontal disease. The facts provided about sugar and sugar substitutes and how they relate to preventive dental care allow us to share relevant, up to date information with our patients about this important subject.

"Understanding Human Motivation" was another excellent chapter; armed with this knowledge, our entire dental care team can discuss the importance of regular preventive dental care with patients in ways that will encourage them to change their unhealthy behaviors and incorporate those habits that will boost their oral health. This chapter has helped us discuss the best ways to communicate information to and collaborate with our patients for the most effective results.

The book is well organized with clear goals and objectives stated for each chapter and with important concepts bolded for emphasis. The self evaluation quizzes at the end of each chapter are also quite helpful.

Well this book is very detailed, which can be a good thing if you are wanting to learn. Also boring to read. Overall it covers the basics very well.

I am a second year dental student and find this book to be comprehensive in its theoretical approach and practice of preventive dentistry in private and public health sectors. A university level background in chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry and dental materials are necessary to understand some of the more advanced concepts.

Each chapter beings with clearly stated objectives highlighting the subject matter that the authors consider essential. Key words and concepts appear in bold, italicized letters. Throughout each chapter there are true-and-false and multiple choice questions. The correct answers given as well as thorough explanations as to why the other multiple choice answers are wrong. This comprehensive approach enhanced my knowledge and understanding of the material. Each chapter concludes with a series of auto evaluation questions highlighting the essential information in each chapter. As a result, I did not have to read and then re-read each chapter.

The following topics are discussed in-depth: Introduction to Primary Preventive Dentistry and its relevance to today's dental practice; The Development and Structure of Dental Plaque, Calculus, and other Tooth-adherent Organic Materials; The Developing Carious Lesion; The Role of Dental Plaque in the Etiology and Progress of Periodontal Disease; Various types of Toothbrushes and Tooth brushing Techniques; Dentifrices, Mouth Rinses, and Chewing Gums; Supplemental Oral Health Self-Care; Water Fluoridation; Pit-and-Fissure Sealants; Oral Biological Defenses in Tooth Demineralization and Remineralization; Caries Activity Testing; Periodontal Disease Prevention; Sugar and Other Sweeteners; Nutrition, Diet, and Oral Conditions; Understanding Human Motivation in Oral Care; Dental Public Health Programs; Preventive Oral Health in Early Childhood; Oral Health Promotion in Schools; Preventive Oral Health Care for Compromised Individuals; Geriatric Dental Care; Primary Preventive Dentistry in Hospital Settings; and Rationale, Guidelines, and Procedures for Prevention of Plaque-associated diseases. Different age and health status groups are also considered including pedodontic, geriodontic, handicapped, and hospitalized individuals. Finally, there is a chapter on how to use risk assessment to integrate prevention into the total treatment plan.