All the information a reader would expect from a textbook on gum disease, lucidly explained.
From warning signs to treatment options, this book provides a trove of useful and often surprising facts about dental health.
In this new fourth edition, Sydney (Periodontics/Univ. of Maryland School of Dentistry) gives a brief history of dentistry, describes oral anatomy and what frequently goes wrong, and offers practical advice for combating gum disease. The volume benefits from a clear layout, logical arrangement of information, and first-rate figures showing, for example, a tooth in cross section or the progression of periodontal disease. It begins with evidence of ancient civilizations’ teeth problems, swiftly bringing things closer to the present day by inserting short profiles of key scientists, along with amusing trivia, such as early attempts at tooth transplantation showing up in Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables. The top cause of gum disease is plaque, due to bacteria. Today periodontal disease affects 75 percent of adults worldwide, the author writes, yet all too often people are blasé about it. “Bleeding in the mouth…has been considered ‘normal’ for so long that this important early warning sign is being ignored,” he regrets. Discoloration and inflammation (gingivitis—the first stage of gum disease) are two other symptoms to watch for. Sydney emphasizes that dental health and systemic health are interrelated, though not as a simple cause and effect. Maintaining a healthy mouth is thus crucial for overall health and vice versa; poor diet and smoking can wreak havoc on teeth. The informal “From my files” case studies deliver a nice change of pace and style, and chapters detailing what to expect from a visit to the periodontist and the various types of surgery and dental implants available are well-suited to laymen. Perhaps the most helpful section of all provides step-by-step instructions and diagrams for brushing and flossing—not as straightforward as one might think. For one thing, Sydney advises first using a dry brush to remove plaque before flossing and applying toothpaste as a polish. Clip art and a few typos (for example, “Forcasting” in a chapter title) detract only slightly from the volume’s professional appearance.
All the information a reader would expect from a textbook on gum disease, lucidly explained.Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9968121-0-8
Page Count: 162
Publisher: Devida Publications
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2016
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Useful but disappointingly commonplace tips.
In a follow-up to The End of Illness (2012), which explored how technological advances will transform medicine, Agus (Medicine and Engineering/Univ. of Southern California) restates time-tested but too often overlooked principles for healthy living.
The author outlines simple measures that average citizens can take to live healthier lives and extend their life spans by taking advantage of modern technology to develop personalized records. These would include a list of medical tests and recommended treatments. Agus also suggests keeping track of indicators that can be observed at home on a regular basis—e.g., changes in energy, weight, appetite and blood pressure, blood sugar and general appearance. He advises that all of this information be made available online, and it is also helpful to investigate family history and consider DNA testing where indicated. Along with maintaining a healthy weight, Agus emphasizes the importance of eating a balanced diet, with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and a minimum of red meat. Avoid packaged vitamins and food supplements, and if possible, grow your own vegetables or buy frozen vegetables, which will generally be fresher than those on supermarket shelves. The author also warns against processed foods that make health claims but contain additives or excessive amounts of sugar or fat. Regular mealtimes and plenty of sleep, frequent hand-washing and oral hygiene are a must; smoking and excessive time in the sun should also be avoided. Agus recommends that adults should consider taking statins and baby aspirin as preventative measures. He concludes with a decade-by-decade checklist of annual medical examinations that should be routine—e.g. blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol screenings, from one’s 20s on; colonoscopies, prostate exams and mammograms later—and a variety of top-10 lists (for example, “Top 10 Reasons to Take a Walk”).
Useful but disappointingly commonplace tips.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4767-3095-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Oncologist Agus (Medicine and Engineering/Univ. of Southern California) predicts that the application of advanced technology for modeling complex systems will transform 21st-century medicine.
The author writes that a remark Nobel Laureate Murray Gell-Mann made to him in 2009—“Look at cancer as a system"—transformed the way he views his own specialty and the entire field of preventative medicine. It made him realize that “[r]ather than honoring the body as the exceedingly complex system that it is, we keep looking for the individual gene that has gone awry, or for the one ‘secret’ that can improve our health.” Agus writes that although the ability to sequence the entire human genome is a great step forward, it is insufficient for achieving a significant breakthrough. Even though it may start with a mutation, cancer “is a dynamic process that's happening…far from the confines of a static piece of DNA”—it involves the body's immune system, its ability to regulate cell growth, metabolism and more. Agus directs his university’s Center for Applied Molecular Medicine and is the co-founder of two personalized medicine companies, Applied Proteomics and Navigenics. His hope is that their research will contribute to developing better analytical tools for preventative medicine and for the treatment of cancers. These will address the functioning of the body as a whole, applying digital technology already used by physicists to provide virtual models of cancers and model the action of proteins that regulate cell communication in the body. He also hopes to develop tools that will provide information on the concentration of different proteins in a drop of blood taken from a patient, which may reveal the onset of disease. The author also includes some guiding principles and warnings about certain healthy practices that may not be so healthy. A refreshing change of pace in the medical field, but by venturing beyond his field of expertise to pontificate on a wide range of subjects, Agus makes his otherwise intriguing narrative difficult to follow.
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4516-1017-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Free Press
Review Posted Online: Nov. 5, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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