ISO 3950 Updated – Dentistry Designation System

ISO 3950, “Dentistry – Designation system for teeth and areas of the oral cavity,” has just been updated.  The new 4th Edition replaces the previous 3rd Edition from 2009.  It is a technical update.  You can purchase your copy of this new revision from Document Center Inc., an authorized distributor of ISO standards.

So I’m heading over to my dentist’s office tomorrow morning for my bi-annual teeth cleaning.  What does my dentist see when he looks at my teeth?  And how does he and his office store that information?  This is the territory of this ISO 3950 designation standard — It provides common terms and a numeric system for storing and communicating data regarding the health of my teeth!

The standard has been in force for some time (since its first release in 1977) but with the heavy usage of computers in the healthcare setting, new basic elements to this system have been added.  So much to my surprise, it turns out that when my dentist looks in my mouth, he records what he sees as a series of numbers!  And ISO 3950 is the standard for that numeric system.

What information is communicated in this way?  First, it gives you the designations for the areas of your “oral cavity” (mouth).  Then it assigns numeric values to each of your teeth (and any you have lost over time as well!).  When all is done, it turns into a numeric map of your mouth, nicely charted in figure 1.  And if, like me, you don’t really understand all the terminology involved in mapping your mouth this way, the standard references ISO 1942 on the vocabulary of dentistry.

If you’re involved in dentistry or in supplying software used in dentistry, you’ll want a copy of this updated standard.  Head to the Document Center Inc. webstore, www.document-center.com, where you can search for and order standards from around the world.  Here is the direct link to the order page for ISO 3950.  It is available for you to order in both paper and pdf format.  Should you prefer company-wide cloud access, get in touch with us for a quote on our Standards Online service.  We can be reached by phone (650-591-7600) and by email (info@document-center.com).  Remember, we’re your Standards Experts!

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Claudia Bach

Claudia Bach is the President of Document Center Inc. and a world-wide recognized expert on Standards and Standards Distribution. You can connect with her on Google+

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