Medical Spanish lessons for dental offices
Become Fluent teaches dentists, hygienists, assistants and front-desk staff the Spanish they use in a dental office: asking about tooth pain, giving instructions during an exam, explaining a procedure and going over aftercare and cost. Lessons are private, one-on-one and online, 60 minutes each, and built around your role and your level, from A1 to C1 and above. Your tutor has 15 years of teaching experience and an MA in Romance Languages.
Typical encounters
| Encounter | What you say | What you hear |
|---|---|---|
| Check-in and history | Ask about the reason for the visit, medical history, allergies and medication. | A description of the problem, and answers to the health history form. |
| Describing pain | Ask which tooth hurts, since when, and whether hot, cold or chewing makes it worse. | Pain described in everyday words: muela, diente, encía. |
| Exam and x-rays | Give short instructions: open, bite down, rinse, turn your head. | Questions about what you see and whether it will hurt. |
| Explaining a procedure | Explain a cleaning, filling, crown or extraction in plain words. | Fears, questions about alternatives and about how long it takes. |
| Anesthesia and comfort | Explain the injection, check comfort and tell the patient to raise a hand. | Worry about pain, and requests to stop. |
| Aftercare, cost and scheduling | Explain what to eat, what to avoid and when to call, and go over cost and the next visit. | Questions about price, insurance and payment plans. |
Sample dialogue: a toothache visit
| Speaker | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Hygienist | Buenos días. ¿Cómo se llama? | Good morning. What is your name? |
| Patient | Me llamo Carmen López. | My name is Carmen López. |
| Hygienist | Señora López, ¿le duele algún diente? | Mrs. López, does a tooth hurt? |
| Patient | Sí, me duele una muela de abajo. | Yes, a lower molar hurts. |
| Hygienist | ¿Le duele con el frío o con lo caliente? | Does it hurt with cold or with hot? |
| Patient | Con el frío, sobre todo. | With cold, mostly. |
| Hygienist | Voy a tomarle una radiografía. Muerda aquí, por favor. | I am going to take an x-ray. Bite here, please. |
| Dentist | Abra la boca. Tiene una caries. Vamos a hacer un empaste. | Open your mouth. You have a cavity. We are going to do a filling. |
| Patient | ¿Me va a doler? | Is it going to hurt? |
| Dentist | Le voy a poner anestesia. Va a sentir un pinchazo. Si siente dolor, levante la mano. | I am going to give you anesthesia. You will feel a pinch. If you feel pain, raise your hand. |
A 10-session outline
- Assessment and goals. Your level, your role and the conversations you have most often.
- Welcoming the patient. Greetings, names and the reason for the visit.
- Health history and allergies. The form questions, said aloud and understood.
- Teeth, mouth and pain. Vocabulary for teeth and gums, and describing pain.
- Exam and x-rays. Short commands and what you tell the patient you see.
- Common procedures. Cleanings, fillings, crowns, root canals and extractions in plain words.
- Anesthesia and comfort. Explaining the injection and calming an anxious patient.
- Aftercare. What to eat, what to avoid, pain relief and when to call.
- Cost, insurance and scheduling. Front-desk conversations in person and on the phone.
- A full simulated visit. From check-in to the next appointment, with feedback and a plan for the next sessions.
Your plan is adjusted to your role and your level after the first lesson. Vocabulary for teeth varies by region, and your tutor will teach the words your patients use.
Your tutor
- Ross Torres, founder of Become Fluent
- 15 years of teaching experience
- MA in Romance Languages, University of New Orleans
- Certificate in Spanish-English legal interpretation, San Francisco State University
- Native English and Spanish speaker
These lessons are language training. They are not a clinical qualification or an interpreter qualification.
Book a free 30-minute trial lesson
Tell us your role and where you are with Spanish. Your tutor will plan the first lessons around them.
Book a free 30-minute trial lesson