Book excerpt: Authored by the foremost experts in the field, this compact reference serves the student and clinician by relating basic science to successful treatment planning. It demonstrates how the best instrument in dental medicine is often the practitioner's knowledge of the body's biologic growth principles. Donald H. Enlow, MS, PhD, the acknowledged pioneer and research leader in facial growth study for the past twenty years, provides comprehensive insights into normal and abnormal craniofacial growth and development. His colleague, Mark G. Hans, DDS, MSD, contributes a concrete understanding of the importance of these concepts in clinical practice. It delves into the interrelationships between soft tissue and skeletal growth, and examines the impact of function upon development. And it stresses the ways in which these biological principles and concepts affect treatment planning, selection, results, relapse, tooth movement, and nonbiological prosthetic implants during growth. Detailed illustrations make key concepts and developmental processes simple to grasp, and a user-friendly organization allows for quick comprehension and convenient referral.