Scully’s Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine THE BASIS OF DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT (Fourth Edition)

We are pleased to have been invited to edit this fourth edition of one of the most popular textbooks in oral medicine. Professor Crispian Scully was an internationally known force in the development of oral medicine worldwide, and for his academic contributions at every level. This text has a particular place in the hearts and minds of students of oral medicine. Crispian Scully set out to deliver a book which was visual, practical, up to date and which summarised current thoughts on the diagnosis and, management. The third edition was laid out with each themed section in a different page colour for easy reference. We have tried to thoroughly update the book, yet be true to the basic concept of easy and enjoyable reading, with helpful summaries of each topic. Before the book was written, the publishers had the third edition peer reviewed and we have incorporated many of the changes suggested, adding in new material and leaving out some older material. We hope that the fourth edition of this highly successful book continues to offer readers with a systemized and objective approach to the practice of oral and maxillofacial medicine.
The book has been completely restructured with grouping of disorders into 7 themed section sections, with six new chapters not covered in the previous edition, combining of several of the short chapters in the third edition and with 30% of the figures being new or replacing older figures. Nevertheless, we have tried to remain true to the underlying principle of a
visually attractive layout with as many examples of clinical conditions as allowed, yet with frequent text summaries of important diagnostic and management points. We have expanded sections on clinical features and management, including emerging therapies, as well as additional information on drug interactions and contraindications.
We have accepted that modern day students of oral medicine are unlikely to follow up long lists of references in textbooks. We have therefore included cardinal references only, particularly focussing on World Workshops of oral medicine reports, and Cochrane reviews of diagnosis and treatment of relevant conditions. It has become apparent to the world of oral medicine that outcomes of treatment both from the clinician’s perspective and from the patient’s perspective are now an essential part of the management of oral diseases. We have therefore included in this edition information on oral disease severity scores and patient reported outcomes which should be used for every patient.
This book presents a straightforward, accessible guide to the successful diagnosis and treatment of the most common and potentially serious disorders seen in oral medicine clinical practice. Maintaining a strong patient-centred approach throughout, the book also explores relevant systemic disorders and includes an updated recommended reading list. This clearly written book places a strong emphasis on practical issues and is beautifully illustrated with liberal use of tables, algorithms and clinical photographs.
Senior dental students, dental practitioners and trainees and practitioners in oral medicine, surgery and pathology in particular, will find this book to be both an excellent source of reference and a thoroughly practical guide for clinical diagnosis and contemporary non-surgical management of conditions affecting the oral and maxillofacial region.
We would like to thank Dr Parnyan Ashtari BDS, MPharm for her very helpful and important contributions to the chapters on drugs and drug reactions.
Thanks to Alison Taylor then of Elsevier, with whom the idea of this edition was nurtured and developed, to Anand K Jha of Elsevier, with whom
we have had many interesting and useful conversations and the professional teams of copyeditors, typesetters and proofreaders who have all contributed to producing a revised text of which we hope that Crispian Scully would have been proud.
SJC, BC and JS, 2022