Orthodontics and Traumatic Injuries to the Teeth

ALBERTO CAPRIOGLIO, DDS
CLAUDIA CAPRIOGLIO, DDS
LISA MARIANI, DDS
DAMASO CAPRIOGLIO, MD

Available in English and Italian. 74 pages, 342 illustrations. 60 euros. 2014.
Edizioni Martina, Via A.P. Orlandi, 24, 40139 Bologna, Italy.
Fax: 39-051-545-514; www.edizionimartina.com.

This new book is, as the authors put it, a "family volume" by the renowned Profs. Alberto and Damaso Caprioglio, supported by Drs. Claudia Caprioglio and Lisa Mariani. Rather than a classical orthodontic textbook, it should be considered a compendium of this team's clinical work, helping us answer the difficult questions: "Should I move the tooth? And if so, when should I start?"

In the foreword, Dr. Jens Ove Andreasen, a highly regarded expert in dental traumatology, points out that orthodontics is possibly the most complicated discipline within that field in terms of when and how to treat. The authors candidly observe in their introduction that some 10% of orthodontic patients encounter traumatic dental injuries before or during treatment. They note, however, that most of the data on dental traumatology in orthodontic patients consists of case reports and retrospective systematic reviews with small sample sizes. Therefore, the orthodontic treatment of traumatized teeth continues to be based more on clinical experience than on scientific evidence.

The book provides excellent coverage of the diagnosis and treatment of dental injuries in the primary, mixed, and permanent dentitions, as well as of preventive orthodontics. Orthodontic management of the traumatized dentition, orthodontic therapy for various types of trauma, and treatment options for missing teeth are also discussed. A table listing suggested observation periods prior to orthodontic treatment based on the type of lesion will be especially useful, although it should not be misinterpreted as a standardized protocol.

All clinical cases and treatment procedures are well described and illustrated with high-quality color photographs. To further support their experience- based approach, the authors include 155 references. This book would enrich the library of any orthodontist; in Dr. Andreasen's words, "It should be a must for the orthodontic profession as well as other specialists treating dental traumas."

JAN HOURFAR, DMD, MSD
BJÖRN LUDWIG, DMD, MSD