WILLIAM R. PROFFIT, DDS, PHD
RAYMOND P. WHITE, JR., DDS, PHD
DAVID M. SARVER, DMD, MS
768 pages, 1,665 illustrations. $199. 2003.
Mosby
11830 Westline Industrial Drive
St. Louis, MO 63146
(800) 325-4177; www.elsevier.com
This is one of the "big books" that appear as milestones in dentistry every few years. It was put together under the leadership of three world-renowned academics, teachers, and clinicians from the University of North Carolina--two orthodontists and an oral and maxillofacial surgeon--whose comprehensive view goes well beyond the confines of their strict professional job descriptions, almost as far as the eye can see. They have gathered a team of contributing specialists whose experience in the orthodontic and surgical fields, as illustrated in this volume, is impressive.
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The book is divided into 19 chapters under five major section headings. Throughout the text, excellent clinical photographs, line drawings, and radiographs are used to explain the ideas and principles being discussed, without getting involved in superfluous and irrelevant details.
Thirteen full case reports are interspersed at strategic locations within the chapters, describing the finer points of orthodontic preparation, surgical planning and execution, and orthodontic finishing. These showcase presentations, most of which occupy 10 or more pages of the book, are printed on a cream-colored background to distinguish them from the main text. The pre- and post-treatment facial photographs, intraoral images, and cephalometric records with superimposition tracings are all shown in superior color and quality.
Chapter 1 opens with a discussion of the prevalence and treatment needs of patients with dentofacial problems, beginning with the question, "What makes a problem too severe for orthodontics alone?" The answer given is "if it cannot be corrected by a combination of growth modification and camouflage to the point that both dental occlusion and facial proportions are acceptable". One illustrative case shows how orthodontic treatment for a bimaxillary protrusion can be combined with the surgical correction of a deficient chin; a second patient, with a severe skeletal Class II, protrusive upper incisors, and a periodontal condition, was treated using a LeFort I procedure in the maxilla, surgical advancement of the mandible, and augmentation genioplasty, along with orthodontic alignment.
Subsequent chapters deal with developmental deformities, facial syndromes, congenital anomalies, psychosocial aspects of treatment, and soft-tissue evaluation and treatment planning. The discussions and recommendations are presented with full scientific evidence throughout, and references are cited wherever relevant.
The practical interdisciplinary relationships involved in melding orthodontics with surgery are covered next, answering the question, "Who does what when?" The following chapters deal at length with the clinical treatment of specific conditions, such as mandibular deficiency, the long face, Class III problems, and asymmetries. Evaluation of the body's response to treatment and the prevention and management of complications are discussed comprehensively, but in a practical, matter-of-fact style.
In sum, this is a book well worth its considerable weight and asking price. It is wholeheartedly recommended to the profession.
ADRIAN BECKER, BDS, LDS, DDO