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Remembering Dr. Rafael Miñana                                

We regret to announce the passing of AAE life member Dr. Rafael Miñana.

Dr. Miñana had many notable achievements and accolades to his name. He’s revered as being the first dentist in Europe to exclusively dedicate his practice to endodontics. He practiced from 1969-2011 in Madrid, Spain.

Dr. Miñana was born on Feb. 7, 1935, in Puebla Larga (Valencia), Spain. He obtained a Bachelor in Medicine and Surgery, University of Valencia, 1960; as well as a degree in Stomatology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 1962. He was a Fellow in Endodontics at the Forsyth Dental Infirmary, School of Dental Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, from July 1966-July 1967.

His university teaching experience includes University of Southern California, Dental School; University of Oviedo, Faculty of Medicine, School of Stomatology; and University of Santiago de Compostela, School of Stomatology. He was co-director of the Master of Endodontics of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Valencia, from 1994-2005. He was also a visiting professor in University Cardenal Herrera (Valencia), Catholic University School (Valencia) and University Rey Juan Carlos.

Dr. Miñana was the founding member of the Spanish Association of Endodontics and the European Society of Endodontology, and the first president of the Spanish Association of Endodontics (1978-1983). He was president of the 4th, 8th, and 12th congresses of the Spanish Association of Endodontics (1983, 1987, 2001).

He was also president of the 5th Endodontic World Congress of IFEA (Madrid 2001).

His awards include:

  • Honorary membership from the AAE (2006)
  • “Rodríguez Carvajal” Award of the Spanish Association of Endodontics (1990)
  • Honorific member award of the Spanish Association of Endodontics
  • “Santa Apolonia” Award from the General Council of Professional Dentists Association in Spain (1999)
  • Gold Medal of the Scientific Merit of the School of Dentists of Madrid

Publications include:

  • Scientific review and translation of Endodontic Therapy book, 4th Edition of the author F.S. Weine. 1989
  • Collaborator in the Odontology Treaty book coordinated by Prof. Bascones in the Endodontics section, with the chapter “Dental Traumatology”, 1998
  • Collaborator in the book Instrumentation and Instrumentation in Dental Therapeutics coordinated by Dr. Carmen Llena, with the chapter: “Instruments in Endodontics”, 1997
  • Former deputy director of the Archives Journal of Stomatology (Spain)
  • Collaborator in the Endodontics: Actual Considerations book coordinated by Prof. Rodriguez Ponce, with the chapter “Dental Traumatology”, 2003
  • 18 publications in endodontic journals

In short, Dr. Miñana will be remembered as an endodontic “trailblazer across the pond” and a wonderful person.