Booklist Review

Dental care is a part of health maintenance that is often overlooked. A trip to the dentist for routine hygiene or treatment of a problem is often a source of anxiety. Popular medical books are easy to find, but there are few books on dentistry for lay readers. Written by a dentist interested in health education, The Complete Book of Dental Remedies fills this gap in health collections. The book contains three sections. The first provides an introduction to oral anatomy, information on choosing a dentist, and basic facts about nutrition, homeopathy, and herbal therapy. The second is a dictionary of dental disorders. Among the subjects covered are cavities, gum disease, dry mouth, eating disorders and tooth problems, and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) as a possible cause of migraines. Entries include a description of the disorder followed by nutritional advice and the conventional, homeopathic, and herbal treatments for it. The author is careful to explain the limits and necessary precautions for alternative therapies and the need for conventional treatments for such conditions as cleft palate and cavities. The third explains dental procedures such as filling and extracting teeth, root canals, fitting dentures, and proper brushing and flossing techniques. A few black-and-white illustrations, a glossary, a brief bibliography, and lists of professional organizations and dental schools complete the text. Although it lacks the depth of The Mount Sinai Medical Center Family Guide to Dental Health (Macmillan, 1991), the information this book provides on alternative treatments and its consumer-oriented approach make it a valuable complementary source and a good addition to consumer-health collections. It is inexpensive, so both reference and circulating copies are affordable. (Reviewed April 15, 1996)