Pocket Atlas of Oral Diseases. George Laskaris

      Preface

      Twenty years have passed since the publication of the first edition and twelve years since the second edition of the Pocket Atlas of Oral Diseases. The enthusiastic acceptance by dentists, physicians, and dental and medical students has exceeded all expectations. For the third edition, the clinical orientation of the book remains unchanged.

      The visual approach is the most powerful tool at the disposal of the oral physician. Acquisition of the skill to “see” lesions in a particular way requires extensive and intensive clinical training and is rewarded with a high degree of diagnostic accuracy. From this point of view, I felt that the format of juxtaposition of text and color images is ideal and was, therefore, chosen for the presentation of the disease entities. For practical purposes the diseases that are included in this pocket book are classified according to three main criteria: (a) the morphology of the lesions, (b) the color of the lesions, and (c) anatomical regions.

      This classification leads to the goal of the oral examiners to reach the precise diagnosis, which is a prerequisite for correct and successful treatment. The diagnosis of each disease is based on three fundamental principles: (a) patient’s medical history, (b) clinical assessment of signs and symptoms, and (c) laboratory tests, if necessary. In the present edition, the text of the book has been rewritten and adapted to contemporary scientific and publishing demands. Information on more than 40 new diseases and one more chapter have been added. Over 95% of the pictorial color material has been renewed and enriched with high-standard color images. All of these