Operative Dentistry is a rapidly changing field of restorative dentistry. Advances in caries diagnosis and management strategies, pulp protection philosophies, tooth preparation techniques and dental materials have left practitioners somewhat unsure as to what is best practice. This book answers many of the questions frequently posed by practitioners, encourages a less interventive philosophy and is an easy-to-use resource for clinical decision-making.

ISBN: 1-85097-057-2
978-1-85097-057-6 , 9781850970576

108 pp; 97 illus (85 color)

Contents:
Chapter 1 Clinical Diagnosis of Dental Caries
Chapter 2 Caries Risk Assessment and Criteria for Intervention
Chapter 3 Preservative Operative Intervention
Chapter 4 Material Considerations
Chapter 5 Pulp Protection Regimes
Chapter 6 Minimizing the Effects of Further Operative Intervention
Chapter 7 Notes on the Aetiology and Operative Management of Non-carious Tooth Tissue Loss
Index

Preface
This book does not seek to provide the reader with comprehensive coverage of the subject of operative dentistry. There are already several excellent textbooks available that have addressed the subject in depth, particularly from the undergraduate’s perspective.
This book is about the practice of contemporary operative dentistry in primary dental care. Its principal aim is to assist clinical decision-making in the dental surgery and provide answers to the questions practitioners frequently ask. As such, the approach to the subject is very different and somewhat novel.
Preservative operative dentistry is the philosophy on which this book is based. The continued use of amalgam, particularly for initial lesion management, does not sit well with this philosophy. Amalgam has, however, been included in this edition to ensure comprehensive coverage. I suspect that future editions will not cover or support the continued use of amalgam.
The classification of lesions of caries has changed in recent years. Accordingly, I have not used Black’s classification, preferring to classify lesions as occlusal, proximal and cervical. Similarly, the FDI system of tooth notation has been used. On a final note, this book considers the restoration of the adult dentition with direct restorative materials and techniques. Readers will be aware that operative dentistry includes the provision of single-unit indirect restorations, which is outside the remit of this publication.
On reading this book the reader will be able to:
Diagnose caries more effectively, especially in its early stages
Intervene appropriately and only when absolutely necessary
Prepare teeth minimally and effectively
Select the correct restorative material
Understand modern pulp protection regimes
Select restorations suitable for repair and refurbishment procedures
Identify and treat non-carious tooth tissue loss

Paul A Brunton

© 2002