English

Abstract

Oral microbiology is a study of microbial diseases of the oral cavity. The most common oral microbial disease is dental caries and there are many microbiological diseases that affect the oral cavity. Often, there is a diverse list of microbes that can target the oral tissues. It is understood that microbial disease of the dental tissue is a most common type of pathology, however, there is a dearth of academic literature on oral microbiology. Professor Lakshman Samaranayake has published a textbook, “Essential Microbiology for Dentistry,” which is very welcoming to dentistry and oral microbiology. The book was published by Churchill Livingston, Elsevier publishers in the year 2012. The book is a fourth edition; the previous edition was published in 2006. Samaranayake is one of the eminent oral microbiologists across the globe and his key research area focusses on mycological studies on oral tissues. The book is well managed with the topics that are proposed to be covered. The book is addressed to the undergraduate and postgraduate students of dentistry and practising dental surgeons. The contents are categorized under six parts: general microbiology, basic immunology, microbes of relevance to dentistry, infections of relevance to dentistry, oral microbiology, cross infection and control. The chapters under the parts seem to be well informative and sufficient for textbook standards. The “general microbiology” and “basic immunology” parts are the fundamental aspects of microbiology and the author bridged the knowledge required for dentistry from medical microbiology. Information regarding the “pathogenesis of the microbial disease,” “diagnostic microbiology and laboratory methods,” “antimicrobial chemotherapy” and “basic immunology” covered the fundamental aspects in a very significant manner. The chapters on diagnostic microbiology and laboratory methods and antimicrobial chemotherapy are very productive and can be used as a guide in dental practice. It is common for every practising dental surgeon to face a challenging microbial disease of dental or oral tissues in their practice, which is cumbersome to treat, since it is not usually seen in the practice. The author captured practical application of microbiology which is well described in the textbook. The “microbes of relevance to dentistry” and “infections of relevance to dentistry” sections are highly academic and represent an excellent source of information for the dental students of undergraduate and postgraduate level of learning. The oral microbiology part gives a special orientation of the microbiology learning based on the anatomical structures such as tooth, periodontium, dental alveolar segment and salivary glands. The microbial diseases affecting those anatomical areas are described with sufficient clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic considerations. At the end of the book, the cross infection and control section includes the chapters “principles of infection control” and “infection control procedures in dentistry” that are good reference material for academic and dental practitioners. The diagrams and pictorial representations are well described. These chapters should be a useful platform for practising dental surgeons. Tables, schematic pictures, key facts and review questions were identified throughout the textbook contents. The explanatory method of textbook learning is well reachable to the audience and all the methods are self-explanatory in a very understandable language. Overall, this book is a very remarkable contribution for dental students and practicing dental surgeons. Samaranayake has turned his efforts into a very fruitful mode. The literature explanation methods used in this book are accurate and updated with the current level. The author must be heartily congratulated for the admirable contribution to the field of dentistry and oral microbiology and a special thank you note for producing this book in a very self-explanatory pattern with attractive tables, pictures and review questions.