Department of Orthodontic Abstracts and Reviews-.._---.---_ -_._----------_ ---_ _._-.-

Edited by

DRS. EGON NEUSTADT AND JOSEPH D . EBY, NEW YORK CITY

All communications concerning further Information about abstracted material and the accept­ance of articles or books for consideration In this department should be addressed to Dr. Egon

Neustadt, 133 East Fltty-Elghth Street. New York City.

-._--------------._._----.-.--_._-----...------.. -----------A Child's Book of the Teeth. Harrison Wader Ferguson, D.D.S. 106 pages,

125 illustrations, World Book Company, Yonkers, N. Y.

We have many books on the subject of teeth. Most of them are textbooksfrom college days, reluctantly hidden in a dark corner of the bookcase, readyto be consulted again in an emergency which never arises.

Sometimes a patient's curious hand grasps one, and he reads with flut­tering heart and with perspiration on his brow the sinister forebodings of his

Fig. 1..

next treatment. He stares at the formidable illustrations of pulpitis, myelitis,and Class II distoclusion. Of course, he does not understand the text becauseits language is too technical. If he asks the dentist for information, he findsout that not all technical language is confined to textbooks.

Ferguson's book of the teeth is a book which anyone can understand.It is a concise textbook on dentistry-in simple language. It is full of ex­emplifications taken from our everyday life; yet every statement is essentiallycorrect.

"Fig'S. 1, 2. and 3 are rep roduction" of Illu stration s us ed in A allild·.• B ook 0/ fil e T eet II.

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We read what teeth are made of and how they get their building material(Fig. 1) ; why we need them and how they do their work; how to keep themwell nourished; why they should last a lifetime; why they should be keptclean, and what tools should be used for the cleaning job; how a hole formsin a tooth; why a tooth aches (Fig. 2); what causes a gumboil; what thex-ray sees. And last, not least, we read why some teeth are crooked. This isthe chapter on orthodontia. Different types of malocclusion are described

Fig. 2.-When JTOU crave candy. eat some fruit.

Fig. 3.

with an amazing simplicity, but at the same time accurately enough. Eventhe overbite is discussed and the influence of malocclusion upon the facialexpression is demonstrated.

Despite the simplicity of language, it is questionable whether childrenwould enjoy reading the book as they would a fairy tale; but if it is keptin the waiting room, they are likely to pick it up and glance through it.Then they will be fascinated by the humorous illustrations which depict eachtooth as a human being with human feelings, human joys and human ail­ments (Fig. 3).

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If the children will not read the little volume through conscientiously,the adults certainly will. There is hardly another book written on the sub­ject of dentistry which is so easy to understand for the lay person and whichis so accurate. It should do excellent educational work among our patients.

We, ourselves, might gain some advantages from it by following its simplemethod of explanation when we speak to our patients. They have had nofour-year dental course and no orthodontic postgraduate instruction to un­derstand our technical terms. A" Class II" is as mysterious and meaninglessto them as the oracle of Theben. Still, they come to us for information andadvice. They should have both in a simple and convenient form. Dr.Ferguson's book will, no doubt, be a help in accomplishing this objective.

E.N.