Although the practice of dentistry has changed remarkably in recent decades, minor oral surgery continues to form an integral part of general dental practice. Instruction in this discipline has for decades been based on a few classic textbooks which until now have adequately fulfilled their purpose. The aim of this 'synopsis' is not to replace these major texts but to provide the dental practitioner and undergraduate with an up-to-date and practical reference on minor surgical procedures appropriate to general dental practice. It has been written in clear, succinct style in a logical format. The accent has been placed on total patient care and the intention has been to provide an easily accessible, synoptic text that will be a ready source of reference in clinical practice, as well as forming an integral part of the undergraduate's armamentarium of books. The author is an experienced Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon who has experience of both United Kingdom and United States dental education and practice, and who is now lecturing at the University of Melbourne. 'A Synopsis of Minor Oral Surgery' should serve a dual purpose as both a textbook for today's undergraduate dental curriculum as well as a practical guide for contemporary general dental and hospital practice. It should be an essential purchase for all dental undergraduates, dental practitioners and junior hospital doctors.