The Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgeon's Guide to Family Dental Care [Hardcover]

Rebecca W. Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1997

Prepared in collaboration with over two dozen professors of dentistry from Columbia University who are at the forefront of clinical dental practice and research. With this book, health-conscious consumers can easily maneuver through the ever-changing terrain of modern dental care to make informed, responsible decisions about the oral health of their families and themselves. This indispensable and up-to-date reference book provides all the information you need on what to expect--and demand--of the care that you and your family receive from your dentist. A visit to the dentist can be daunting. In addition to the usual anxieties about what and how much treatment to expect, patients are now faced with a vast array of options created by recent advances in the prevention and diagnosis of dental disease. This totally up-to-date guide comprises a comprehensive overview of terms, procedures, and choices, making sense of the complexities of dental care and guiding you through explanations your dentist may not have time to give. With one book you can research every aspect of prevention, disease, and treatment, from standard to cutting-edge, including: * how to select a dentist; * periodontal disease and other common dental concerns; * orthodontics, prostheses, and cosmetic dental procedures; * the newest technologies such as bone-integrated implants, guided tissue regeneration, and computerized imaging; * the costs, benefits, and risks of alternatives to state-of-the-art, as well as older, accepted dental therapies; * specific issues for different stages of development--from birth to advanced years--and for people with disabilities; * concerns about pain, radiation exposure from X-rays, fluoridation in water, and contracting AIDS or other infectious diseases through dental procedures. Thorough and definitive, this essential medical resource belongs in every family's library.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Medical and science writer Smith has collaborated with the faculty of the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery to produce a comprehensive, definitive guide to dental care. The clearly written, informative sections on oral anatomy, dental visits, routine care, dental problems and treatment, dental fears, emergencies, controversies, and dental care for different age groups, for women, and for persons with medical conditions provide all the information one can imagine a dental patient could need. Particularly useful are the appendixes, which include a glossary, directories of dental associations, and a section describing dental symptoms and offering advice on whether to see a dental-care professional. The glossary allows this book to be used successfully by lay readers, but it would also be a good reference in academic libraries; dental students or those considering entering dental school will find the list of dental schools and the section on dentists' qualifications helpful. If the index (not seen) is as well designed and thorough as the rest of the text, this book is to be recommended for all libraries.?Stacey Hathaway, Wright State Univ., Dayton, Ohio
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Twenty-nine Columbia University dental faculty members joined Smith in the writing and editing of this overview of dental and oral anatomy, routine and specialized dental care, dental problems and treatments, and the fears, emergencies, and controversies associated with those topics. They also tell how to select a dentist and what to expect when you visit a dental office, make as much sense as possible out of dental insurance, and cogently warn against dentists who advertise and those who claim expertise after short courses sponsored by manufacturers pushing particular instruments and techniques. The overall text is clear, understandable, well organized, and frequently cross-referenced, and it often points out where the evidence in favor of a certain treatment is indecisive and where more research is needed. And it has a comforting, human touch, as when it suggests that after a tough session in the chair, you reward yourself with a movie or a book. Appendixes include a glossary and lists of dental associations and teaching institutions. William Beatty

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 446 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; 1 edition (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393040364
• ISBN-13: 978-0393040364
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,755,180 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars not good, January 13, 2004

By 

Luca M. "lucamh" (los angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgeon's Guide to Family Dental Care (Hardcover)

this text is too superficial on all topics and i wouldn't recommend it. go with the consumer report guide on dental health.