Book Review

This is the sixth edition and eighth iteration of a textbook that has been in existence since the late 1960s. The authors have progressed the mission of the original primary editor and author, Tom Graber, by continuing to provide a text that can be used worldwide, with a focus on the integration of the existing evidence base with clinical practice. It is a text written not only to support orthodontic educators and trainees, but those orthodontic specialists wanting to keep updated on current concepts and continued professional development. Keeping abreast with the current evidence base is difficult due to the upsurge of orthodontic-related research being carried out globally. The editors have acknowledged this by expanding their editorial team to include Greg Huang, and by enlisting the help of authors beyond the American borders.

The textbook is quite hefty. To help with this, and in keeping with the times, the entire text is available in eBook format (Expert Consult). The electronic format is easy to download and is user friendly. As a trainee, it is very useful to have immediate access to the eBook for quick reference on a mobile device. The eBook format has also allowed the editors to condense the hardcopy of the text by having three online-only chapters. There is online video content (on ‘the upper airway, cranial morphology and sleep apnoea’), however, I found these difficult to follow without any accompanying audio (used through an Apple device). The editors comment that the eBook format gives the opportunity for material to be updated in the future, and as such the sixth edition may be the last one offered in print.