"In order to speak English, it is necessary to place the tongue between the teeth - and I have no teeth" Voltaire This innovative book fulfils a timely need. Realizing the importance of the English language inj the dental literature, these experienced authors do much to help the foreign reader. More than this too. With the explosion of English language dental topics on the Internet and proliferation of dental subject matter on CD-ROM's, the need for this help is likely to increase in the future. A wealth of important and detailed information is provided here, indeed, many native English speakers could find interest within these pages. Always a conflict in books on English is the dichotomy between American English and the English normally used in Great Britain. Where appropriate in borrowed texts, both versions are used but overall there is a weight towards the English used in the mother country. By this care the situation is clarified and potential confusion in spelling and grammar avoided. The authors have chosen their material well and the information provided should be of practical value in both written and spoken English situations. What is contained here will certainly equip the reader with greater and clearer understanding of Modern English usage in dentistry, Dr Graham E. White, KCOM, PhD, MmrdSci, FCGI, CGIA Senior lecturer, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield.