This book brings together more than 22,000 terms drawn from dental literature, reference books, congresses and meetings, and discussions with colleagues, interpreters, and translators. The terms are subdivided and classified into 25 different areas of dentistry and dental-related medicine. An essential tool for clinicians, students, and others who are interested in reading Spanish-language dental literature, as well as for those who interact with a Spanish-speaking population in their daily practice.
ISBN: 84-898-73-36-4
422 pp
Foreword
Precise use of language that is universally understood is essential to ensuring global communication between dental professionals. Having practiced in three countries and on two continents, I recognize that we are all addressing the same problems and that dentistry is basically the same the world over. Although many small differences exist, they add up to changes in philosophy rather than science. Hence the importance of a bilingual dictionary to ensure unification of our scientific voice around the world. Careful and accurate description is a cornerstone of evidence-based medicine and is of increasing importance when comparing methods and data form multiple international sources.
As with learning any language, one sees a turning point in first-year dental students as they suddenly acquire a facility with dental terminology. Although English is a popular scientific language and a convenient bridge between discussants of different native tongues, other main languages are of great importance and represent large blocks of fellow professionals. A translation dictionary is therefore very important if we are to communicate correctly. Unifying definition of our evolving terminology then becomes that much easier.
A lot of work and history have gone into defining dental terms, usually under the auspices of expert academies; this publication relies on their scope and insight. However, translation of texts and symposia into main languages is also demanded, and the need for an up-to-date dental translation becomes obvious.
English has a long, notorious history of cannibalizing and co-opting words from many sources, and each revision of English-language dictionaries absorbs a large number of new words. Similarly, as the scope of dentistry broadens, for example, into maxillofacial prosthetics, behavioral issues, dental immunology, genetics, pain and neuroscience, jaw dysfunction, oral representation of many medical conditions, and special patient care, a regularly revised dictionary as a living, evolving document has become essential.
Personal experience employing professional translation of abstracts revealed difficulties when descriptive terms have to be used for translation instead of equivalent terminology. Thus I hope that this bilingual dictionary will be helpful to authors writing full articles in a nonnative language for publication and, conversely, to students and researchers reading foreign language texts.
This dictionary relies upon experts in the many fields of dentistry from native-speaking linguistic groups to suggest and translate terms. Feedback from a wider readership is invited for subsequent editions, as well as sponsorship of additional important terms to include.
Andrew Pullinger, LDS, BDS, DDS, MSc
Professor, School of Dentistry
Division of Oral Biology and Medicine
Chair, Section of Orofacial Pain
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
Preface
The advance of dentistry and the globalization and dissemination of scientific knowledge enhance the need for adequate communication. The major part of research, the description of treatment methods and the exposition of odontologic-technical procedures published in the researchers’ native languages, normally remains inaccessible to a wider audience.
Furthermore, it is difficult to read scientific texts written in foreign languages or even to gain access to them; a problem I personally was often confronted with during my academic career, particularly with the Spanish, German, and English languages. Because of this, 10 years ago I decided to write my first Spanish-German/German-Spanish dictionary. Since then, I recognized that it would be very useful to expand this work to include the English language due to the development of scientific knowledge and specialized terminology.
Literature specific to the field, reference books, publications, congresses and meeting, and discussions with colleagues, interpreters, and translators are the source of the more than 22,000 entries selected for this book. These terms are subdivided and classified in 25 different areas of dentistry and relevant medical areas.
The aim of this bilingual dictionary is not to extend or upgrade standard English or Spanish vocabularies but rather to faithfully reflect the field of dental terminology.
The goal of this dictionary is to provide researchers, dentists, dental technicians, dental assistants, interpreters and translators, students, and other individuals active in the dental field with a tool to overview and translate professional texts. In addition, it provides valuable assistance in diffusion of and access to new odontologic knowledge without regard to linguistic barriers.
A dictionary is a work that lives in constant evolution; it is never completed. New terms are created continually as the need arises and the technology evolves. The author encourages all users to communicate with her and to provide constructive criticism for the benefit of future editions.
Ana Veronica Franscini-Paiva, DDS PhD, exec. MBA-HSG
Santiago de Chile
Este diccionario de términos dentales, es el más completo diccionario bilingüe en Inglés-Español/ Español-Inglés. Contiene más de 22.000 voces subdivididas y clasificadas en 25 categorías correspondientes a las áreas de preclínica, clínica, gestión de clínica dental y medicina relacionada con la odontología. Por ejemplo: histología, fisiología, radiología, implantología, prótesis, odontología conservadora, estadística, salud pública, psicología y medicina general. La misión de este diccionario bilingüe, no es la de prolongar o act alizar el inglés corriente o el vocabulario español, sino la de reflejar fielmente la terminología odontológica. Es un instrumento indispensable para todas las personas enfrentadas con temáticas odontológicas a nivel internacional. El objetivo de este diccionario es proporcionar a investigadores, dentistas, técnicos dentales, asistentes dentales, intérpretes, traductores, estudiantes y otras personas activas en el campo dental, un instrumento ideal para evaluar o traducir textos profesionales.
© 2005
