Overview
ISO 10394:2023 - "Dentistry - Designation system for supernumerary teeth" defines a standardized, two-character alphanumeric system for identifying supernumerary (extra) human teeth. The standard preserves the two-character format familiar from tooth notation systems to maximize compatibility with existing dental forms, software and messaging, while remaining independent of ISO 3950 so as not to change meanings already assigned there.
Key topics and requirements
- Two-character code: Every supernumerary tooth is designated by two alphanumeric characters (Table 1 in the standard).
- First character - quadrant:
- A = quadrant 10 (upper right)
- B = quadrant 20 (upper left)
- C = quadrant 30 (lower left)
- D = quadrant 40 (lower right)
- Second character - position within quadrant:
- 1–8 map to locations from central incisor area through third molar area (1 = central incisor region; 8 = third molar region).
- Midline designations:
- AB = midline area of the maxilla (upper)
- DC = midline area of the mandible (lower)
- Location rules:
- Designation relates a supernumerary tooth’s location to the tooth normally present at or immediately mesial to that site.
- If a supernumerary overlaps more than one normal location, use the mesial-most position.
- Bucco-lingual (facial/lingual) position is not considered; “normal location” may include buccal or lingual to the usual site.
- Tooth set classification: Supernumerary teeth are not considered part of normal deciduous or permanent tooth sets and therefore are not classified as deciduous or permanent within this system.
- Design principles: The system follows requirements to be simple, communicable, computer-friendly, teachable, adaptable to standard charts and-critically-not to reassign any meanings already used in ISO 3950.
Applications and users
ISO 10394 is applicable for:
- Clinical charting and dental records (general dentists, orthodontists, oral surgeons)
- Radiographic reporting and intraoral examination notes
- Electronic health records (EHR) and dental practice management software
- Data exchange, research registries, public health surveillance and dental epidemiology
- Standards bodies and implementers ensuring interoperability with existing tooth-designation systems
Primary users include dentists, dental hygienists, orthodontists, oral-maxillofacial specialists, dental software developers, health informaticians and researchers.
Related standards
- ISO 3950 - Dentistry: designation system for teeth and areas of the oral cavity (related conventional tooth notation)
- ISO 1942 - Dentistry: vocabulary (terminology used by this document)
Keywords: ISO 10394, supernumerary teeth, dental notation, tooth designation, dentistry standard, tooth coding, ISO 3950, dental interoperability.