As Leland C. Hendershot, DDS, PhD, former editor of the Journal of the American Dental Association stated, there is a paucity of literature relating to allergy and dentistry. This book, the first of its kind, discusses not only allergic patients but also the occupational hazards of dentistry. It is a very welcome addition to the literature. Six of the 20 contributors are pediatricians.
The first chapter discusses history taking, which is particularly appropriate since a very carefully taken history is the most important part of the investigation of allergic disorders. Chapter 2 notes the essential differences between the allergies of children and adults. Conditions that are symptomatically related to allergic diseases and the very important subject of preoperative administration of adrenal corticosteroids are considered. There is a general review of allergic disorders with reference to their diagnosis and management. Frazier, the editor of the symposium, devotes a chapter to anaphylaxis,