J Dent Res 82(12): 1023, 2003
© 2003 International and American Associations for Dental Research
DENTAL BIOMECHANICS
Arturo N. Natali, Editor, ISBN 0-415-30666-3 £65.00, Taylor and Francis, Taylor and Francis Group, London, UK and New York, USA
Angelo Caputo
angeloc{at}dent.ucla.edu
Biomechanics is applied to dentistry to provide a means for predicting the clinical results of all types of dental procedures. Several experimental and theoretical approaches are being used to accomplish this goal. The present work is a fine exposition of the numerical approach to dental biomechanics, prepared by an array of knowledgeable contributors. The author makes a superior presentation of the numerical techniques of dental biomechanics. However, there is no mention of experimental techniques which have demonstrated the capacity to predict clinical effects. He makes excellent presentations of the basics of the finite element technique, mechanical testing of biologic tissues, and some pertinent dental materials. There are elegant discussions of constitutive relations and their place within continuum mechanics. The authors also include explanations of complex behavior, such as is inherent in the PDL. One minor problem is that the flow from chapter to chapter is not as good as it could be.
This book should be considered an important reference source for researchers and academicians. It is likely that the readership pool for this book may be somewhat limited. It is probable that this presentation will be understandable by only a relatively few readers with special training, interests, or both. Most clinicians would find this excellent text difficult reading.
