Fill in the Gaps: A Practical Guide to Healthy Teeth

John H. Gryfe is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon practicing in
Toronto.

Sitting in a dental chair apparently renders a patient either deaf or
unable to comprehend what the dentist has just advised. Despite all the
advances that current technology has contributed to the practice of
painless dentistry, most people have a dread of that visit, a fear so
strong, says Sterling, as to negate the dental office as a place to
learn about dentistry. To correct this deficiency, he has written a book
in plain language for the consumer—a book that, he promises, “will
provide you with a lifetime guide to keeping your teeth healthy.”

Sterling is a family dental practitioner. His experience in assessing
and explaining the dental problems of real people forms the basis for
this book. Anticipated topics related to tooth care, visits to the
dentist, and the many misunderstood aspects of dental practice are
discussed in short, everyday-language sections. Numerous cartoons
augment the text.

The strength of this book, however, lies not in the expected topics it
discusses, but in the fact that it deals with equally important but
often uncharted areas like finding a pleasant (and competent) dentist,
assessing dental insurance coverage, or understanding the benefits of
fluoride.

Surprisingly large amounts of useful information have been thoughtfully
collected in a flowing style. A “lifetime guide” it may not be, but
a beneficial source of information it most certainly is—definitely
something you can get your teeth into!