Curran Co-Authors Textbook on General and Oral Pathology

Dr. Alice Curran, associate professor in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences’s Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, is the co-author of a new textbook released this month entitled, “General and Oral Pathology for Dental Hygiene Practice.” The book is published by F.A. Davis Publishers of Philadelphia, Penn. and co-authored by Dr. Sandra L. Myers of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry in Minneapolis, Minn.

“Dr. Myers and I both began our dental careers as dental hygienists and taught dental hygiene for many years before becoming oral pathologists,” said Curran. “We had a vision of creating an oral pathology textbook with a new approach for dental hygiene students and educators. More importantly, we both felt that this would be a way for us to give back to dental hygiene education for all that we received. Most authors dedicate their books to family members and significant others, but we dedicated ours to our students, present and past, who helped form us as educators in dental and dental hygiene education.”

The book, a culmination of five years of work, is the result of many contributors, editors, illustrators and animators. Available in hardback and as an e-book, it contains more than 500 full-color photos, color illustrations, critical thinking cases and review questions. The online component of the work contains animations, interactive cases, a test bank for National Board review and an Instructor’s Guide. As such, it is designed not only for dental hygiene students but also for dental hygiene educators who teach oral pathology.

“It became apparent to me during my summer school sessions with educators from around the country who attended the Carolina Oral Pathology Educators’ Institute that they needed not just information on oral pathologic lesions but a methodology to approach the topic in the classroom,” said Curran.