CDA Essentials 2014 • Volume 1• Issue 7

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38 | Volume 1 Issue 7
Supporting Your P ractice
The book’s original author, Dr. Gerald
Wright of London, Ontario, is joined
in the second edition by coeditor
Dr. Ari Kupietzky and a strong cast
of new contributors to update this
classic work. Chapters are expertly
edited and filled with practical
advice for daily practice.
The book editors believe that
pediatric dental treatment involves
a dynamic relationship between the
child, the family and the dentist, and
cover all aspects of that relationship.
This position concurs with American
Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
guidelines3 that state: “The goals of
behavior guidance are to establish
communication, alleviate fear and
anxiety, deliver quality dental care,
build a trusting relationship between
dentist, child, and parent, and
promote the child’s positive attitude
toward oral/dental health and oral
health care.”
Dr. Wright established his career at
the Schulich School of Medicine and
Dentistry (then called the University
of Western Ontario) where he is now
professor emeritus. I had the great
fortune of working in his department
and dental practice from 1984–86.
In 2011, I approached Dr. Wright
about the possibility of speaking
at the 2012 Canadian Academy of
Pediatric Dentistry Annual Meeting.
He agreed and gave a lecture at the
meeting on the history of pediatric
dental sedation. This lecture served
as the inspiration for chapter 9 of
the second edition, “Introduction to
Pharmacological Techniques:
A Historical Perspective.”
Many dentists will be interested
in the chapters “Sedation for the
Pediatric Patient” and “Minimal
and Moderate Sedation Agents”
by Dr. Stephen Wilson, a leader in
sedation of pediatric dental patients
at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Medical Center. Dr. Wilson states that
there are no recipes for sedation
cocktails, instead emphasizing the
importance of being competently
trained and having in-depth
knowledge.
The new and relevant chapters,
“Working with a Dentist
Anesthesiologist” and “The Use
of General Anesthesia in Behavior
Management,” discuss the
importance of
the growing
trend in use
of anesthesia
for the care of
pediatric dental
patients. Early
childhood caries
(ECC) is now the most common
reason for day surgery, almost always
performed under general anesthesia,
among young Canadian children.
Roughly 19,000 ECC-related day
surgeries are performed annually
in Canada, not including those
conducted in private facilities.4
Behavior Management in Dentistry
for Children, is a perfect book for
pediatric dental residents, dental
students and practising dentists who
treat children, including pediatric
dental specialists. It is a thorough,
practical and approachable read
and an invaluable addition to any
dentist’s library. a
Book Review by Dr. Lawrence Yanover
References
1.McTigueD.GuestEditorial,BehaviorSymposium III:AHistorical
Perspective.PediatrDent. 2014;36(2):98-9.
2.WrightGZ,KupietzkyA,editors. BehaviorManagement
inDentistry forChildren,SecondEdition. Ames, Iowa:Wiley
Blackwell;2014.
3.AmericanAcademyofPediatricDentistry.GuidelineonBehavior
Guidance forthePediatricDentalPatient[revised 2011;accessed
2014July24].Available
4.Canadian Institute forHealth Information. Treatmentof
PreventableDentalCavities inPreschoolers:AFocusonDaySurgery
UnderGeneralAnesthesia [accessed2014Jul24].Available:
GeraldWright
The book editors believe that pediatric dental
treatment involves a dynamic relationship between
the child, the family and the dentist,
and cover all aspects of that relationship.
Behavior Management in Dentistry
for Children, 2nd Edition
In a guest editorial in Pediatric Dentistry,1 Dr. Dennis McTigue, professor of pediatric
dentistry at The Ohio State University college of dentistry, reflects on his career of over
four decades and notes “there is nothing in pediatric dentistry that has changed more
during our practice careers than behavior guidance.” How fitting that the second edition
of the textbook, Behavior Management in Dentistry for Children ,2 has been released
almost 40 years after its initial publication in 1975.