Histology and Embryology for Dental Hygiene

Reviewed by Dawn Smith, Associate Professor, Howard University on 2/13/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This text provides a good review of cell biology review (with processes, apoptosis, differentiation and nature v. nurture) in preparation of lecture and readings beginning with tissues and bone remodeling. Very good hyperlinks to articles on key points: inflammation, GCF, e-cigarettes, etc. Comprised of 11 chapters, it gives the student a good review of chapter topics and clinical considerations. There is great reinforcement with the lab links which include slide boxes and end of the chapter review questions.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The book is a good foundational text; however, some of the hyperlinks direct the student reader to Wikipedia pages which isn’t an acceptable refereed reference/citation vehicle. All other content is up-to-date and straightforward.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This text is a core first year, first semester text. It builds on curriculum knowledge base and prepares the students for clinical treatment and board preparation. It is a relevant and straightforward text.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is well written in microbiological, dental and anatomy terms. All are key terminology for building the student dental hygienist's vocabulary.

Consistency rating: 5

With 11 chapters, the text builds on student knowledge and application after the cell biology review. The chapters are in a logical order for objective learning. The content is not easy but is applicable to the laboratory and clinical experiences of the student for continuing semesters.

Modularity rating: 5

The text chapters are long, but the subheadings and other content are digestable. Review questions, end of chapter summaries and videos along with photos, tables and figures contribute to foundational learning.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics are objective, target the chapter content and incorporate review items from previous chapters.

Interface rating: 4

The chapter and hyperlinks do not have any issues. Photos and figures are clear and tables are easy to read. Some of the hyperlinks direct the student reader to non-refereed content (Wikipedia).

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The text contains no grammatical errors including sentence structure, verb usage and punctuation.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This is an oral science text and no culturally insensitive information was reviewed. Pictures were inclusive of medical and dental information for learning purposes only. No biases were noted.

Comments

This text could be used as a supplemental text. It also provides a good study tool with end of the chapter review questions.

Reviewed by Isis Marsh, Adjunct Clinical Instructor, New York City College of Technology on 4/5/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This text provides a pervasive scope of the subject material and relevant topics throughout the text's entirety. The index/glossary is equally broad-gauged and easy to locate.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The content seems to be accurate but at times communicated unconventionally. This style may appeal to some because it presents the material using different terms and may help the learner grasp the material; however, those learning specific terms and concepts for the first time may not work well.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The text's relevancy is up to current knowledge and is not likely to change as the particulars of Histology/Embryology are unchanging. However, the text is written and arranged so that information could be implemented or modified without difficulty if needed.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is clear but may not appeal to some looking for a more traditional form of academic writing to use for teaching. The author uses subject terminology within a colloquial, conversational writing style to engage learners, similar to the blog style of communicating.

Consistency rating: 4

All chapters echo one another and follow a consistent labeling format and highlight keywords or ideas, making information easy to attain. The text follows a branched design framework throughout, allowing learners to move back and forth through information by clicking onto emphasized words and terms for remedial and supplementary information to reinforce their learning. One thing to be mindful of is some of the links redirect learners to Wiki pages which can be disputable to use in education. The text also provides quality graphics for the illustration of the material.

Modularity rating: 4

As mentioned previously, the text follows an everyday conversational style of writing similar to blogs. Hence, the sentences and paragraphs are short, making it easier for the learner to follow and understand what they're reading. The quick quizzes at the end of the chapters are an excellent tool for engaging students in the learning and effective for highlighting gaps in understanding the material.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The material is very well-organized, appealing, and follows a logical sequence. The chapters are structured in a manner that is simple for the reader to navigate the topics.

Interface rating: 4

The interface to supplemental sites seemed, for the most part, seamless. Most illustrations were of quality and clear, but a few were blurry and difficult to make out the wording. Some images download onto your computer if you click to view them on a larger scale which some readers may dislike. For instance, the following figure illustration was blurry and challenging to read and had to download for zoomed viewing: Figure 9.1: An illustration of the large number of and complicated interplay between morphogens involved in amelogenesis. Image credit: "The sequential and reciprocal regulatory signaling between epithelium (red) and mesenchyme (blue)" by Thesleff, I. and Tummers, M, Stembook.org, is licensed under CC BY 3.0

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

The text contained a few misspelled words and grammatical errors, but nothing too egregious that can't be overlooked.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text does not use any language or graphics that would be deemed culturally insensitive or offensive.

Comments

I do not teach Histology/Embryology, so I can not speak as an expert on the material's content. However, as dental hygiene clinical instructor, I would recommend this book to my students for supplemental reinforcement learning. The book can help students connect concepts they may find confusing from a traditional teaching approach and textbook. I appreciated the author's communication style as it felt like you were listening to an interesting lesson rather than reading a book. If the author intended to capture the reader's attention and engage them in the learning, it was successful. This book supports active learning and would be a good interactive learning tool for an in-person or online course.

Reviewed by Jennifer Meyer, Clinical Instructor, Southern Illinois University Carbondale on 3/31/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

In terms of content , this text offers a wealth of wide-ranging information from start to finish. The index is easy to navigate, with both the online version and text version.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The information is timely, relevant and insightful and there is a plethora of examples. One downfall, is that there are terms used in the text that are not Histology/Embryology terms, which make some of the passages difficult to read. A few spelling errors here and there, as well as errors with tooth numbering systems.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Histology/Embryology information does not vary, therefore all content is relevant and will remain so.

Clarity rating: 3

Some terminology included words I have never heard in a dental setting, such as "remodeling unit." Sentence structure was clear and concise, some odd spacing between words in PDF version.

Consistency rating: 4

The online version allows the reader to hover over terms, and a definition will appear. This is beneficial to new dental hygiene students to assist in comprehension and terminology. There are also terms that can be clicked on, which will then direct you to a reference/weblink for more information. However, many of the references are Wikipedia, which is not a credible source. Any person can make changes or additions on Wikipedia.

Modularity rating: 5

Very brief and precise sections. Easy to navigate, very well organized. There are key takeaways, and well as brief quizzing sections that are extremely beneficial to the reader.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The book has excellent sequential topics, and it flows well. It is easy for the reader to find the topic and subtopic they are looking for

Interface rating: 3

Some drawings and illustrations were clear, some were very confusing. Some of the pictures/figures had a number to reference back in the text, but then I could not find the text referencing the picture. The author used many metaphors that may make sense to him/her, but are unclear to the reader.

Grammatical Errors rating: 4

After reviewing the online version of the text, numerous grammatical errors were present. However, I was sometimes led to feel that the writer/contributors may use a few terms or spelling variations from other countries, which may have caused my confusion.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Since Histology and Embryology are very straight forward topics, no information could have been seen as culturally insensitive or offensive.

Comments

The cover of the book is initially shocking- seems to be a little abrupt and could deter some from attempting to read. As a dental professional, I tend to choose textbooks written by dental experts. Having a dental professional contribute may have been a nice addition to the overall feel of the book, and would have enhanced the accuracy of the dental terminology. For example: in the "About the Book" portion, the author stated "It is aimed at college students in a dental hygienist program." Dental professionals would have said "Dental Hygiene program" and not dental hygienist program.