Dr William Proffit’s Contemporary Orthodontics , coauthored with Drs Henry Fields and David Sarver, has been used by most dental and graduate students as the standard orthodontic textbook. Since its initial appearance in 1986, this popular book has been the best-selling orthodontic text, used by most dental schools, and has been translated into at least 15 languages.
The fifth edition adds 200 outstanding color figures to illustrate new concepts and procedures. The organization of the chapters, with basic material covered first, followed by more detailed information, enables readers from students to specialists to grasp the contents in a systematic manner. This new edition covers most new technologies and concepts evolving in orthodontics. The authors expound on the use of 3-dimensional imaging for diagnosis, treatment planning, and treatment outcome evaluation. New aspects, including the biology of orthodontic tooth movement, especially in regard to new methods for faster tooth movement, are covered.
For practitioners who are interested in the effects of various brackets and bracket-wire combinations, the authors give a fair discussion of what is evidenced-based and what is based on clinical experience. Readers can also update their knowledge on the most recent esthetic orthodontic appliances.
The topic of early orthodontic treatment has been a popular debate among practitioners—whether it is worth the burden to initiate a 2-phase vs a 1-phase treatment. A section was added to the new edition, “Treatment of preadolescent children: what is different?” to summarize the current thinking on this issue. Practitioners will have a good grasp on what should be done at an early age and what could be done at an early age.
Like most other practitioners, I am bombarded by the various types of temporary anchorage devices that are evolving on the market. The authors put together an excellent evaluation of these products, their potential uses in the treatment of difficult orthodontic situations, and the use of temporary anchorage devices compared with orthognathic surgery.
A unique feature of this text is the updated section on orthodontic interactions for trauma patients. The latest edition updates the materials on psychosocial problems in orthodontic treatment, oral function, and the relationship between injury and dental disease. The authors believe that the text should be totally integrated with the pediatric dentistry textbook so that they form a cohesive whole without conflict or contradiction in a consolidated teaching curriculum for predoctoral students.
