To be successful as a Medical Interpreter, you should take the required training that your state or country requires for a person to become a Qualified or Certified Medical Interpreter. This is a serious line of work. We interpret health information between the medical professional and the limited English speaking patient and/or patient’s family member and provide the communication in English to the language of the patient.
The Medical Interpreter only relays the information between the medical professional and the patient. A Medical Interpreter does not provide any advise or opinion about any medical issue.
It is highly recommendable to learn as much as you can about the human body and its sicknesses so that when these are explained by the medical professional you can related to these terms easier. This can avoid being surprised or challenged by the information being provided by the medical professional.
Dental Subsystem
The following link provides insight about Dental Symptoms.
Below is a compilation of text resources and excellent videos in a progression to help learning the subsystem:
Anatomy and physiology of the teeth
Anatomy of the Oral Cavity
How Does A Dentist Fill A Cavity?
Dental Crown Procedure EXPLAINED
Do You Have Gingivitis or Periodontitis? | Different Stages Of Gum Disease
Additional Resources
Prosthodontics
Academy of Prosthodontics homepage (webpage)
Endodontics
From the American Association of Endodontists:
Endodontic Treatments and Procedures (webpage)
Benefits of Root Canal Treatment (webpage)
Myths About Root Canals (webpage)
Restorative Dentistry
American Academy of Restorative Dentistry homepage (webpage)
British Society for Restorative Dentistry homepage (webpage)
Periodontics
From the American Academy of Periodontology:
Types of Gum Disease (webpage)
Gum Disease Risk Factors (webpage)
Periodontal Treatments and Procedures (webpage)
Pediatric Dentistry
From the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry:
Definitions and scope of pediatric dentistry (PDF)
- Please note: The first section (“Definitions and scope of pediatric dentistry”) on page 1 is the most relevant for our purposes.
Orthodontics
From the American Association of Orthodontists:
What is an Orthodontist and Dentofacial Orthopedist? (webpage)