Book excerpt: This is a Pageburst digital textbook; Easy to read and easy to follow, Applied Pharmacology for the Dental Hygienist, 6th Edition provides an understanding of the basic principles of pharmacology. It covers the most common drugs that you will encounter in clinical practice -the drugs a patient may already be taking and the drugs prescribed by the dentist. A logical and consistent organization makes it easy to look up drug group indications, pharmacokinetics, pharmacologic effects, adverse reactions, drug interactions, and dosages. Ensure patient safety with this essential reference! Drug interactions are emphasized, with explanations of why specific drugs may or may not be appropriate for use in a dental treatment plan. Note boxes highlight important concepts, indications, contraindications, memory tools, warnings, and more. Chapter review questions help you assess your understanding. Informative appendixes make it easy to look up need-to-know information. A new Hygiene-Related Oral Disorders chapter summarizes prevention and treatment of dental caries, gingivitis, and tooth hypersensitivity. A new Natural/Herbal Products and Dietary Supplements chapter relates this fast-growing area to dental hygiene. New Dental Hygiene Considerations boxes show how principles of pharmacology apply specifically to dental hygienists. Additional illustrations and tables simplify difficult concepts, including topics such as receptors and metabolism. A new full-color insert illustrates examples of many common oral pathological conditions.