Tooth Numbering in Dentistry | Basics of Dentistry. If You are going to Dental Hospitals or Colleges for Any Oral Health Complaints, the Con...

Tooth Numbering in Dentistry | Basics of Dentistry.

If You are going to Dental Hospitals or Colleges for Any Oral Health Complaints, the Concerned dentists are Examining the Present or Absent of any abnormality in Your Oral Cavity. During the Examination of your Oral Cavity, they will tell their Assistants or himself will note the abnormalities in the Case Sheet about the Related teeth with the particular numbers. Those particular numbers denote the particular teeth. They won't mention the teeth' names, positions, places of the teeth during case history. They only write or communicate themselves with the standardized numbers denoting the tooth. Today we are going to see about tooth numbering, types of systems are available while numbering the tooth, and the history. These are Fundamentals of Dentistry, Every Dental Student should know about this thoroughly without a single doubt.

History

There is a number of Tooth Numbering Notations are Used Throughout the World as Well as Countries. But, We are here Seeing About the Most Common Tooth Numbering Notations Which is Suggested by American Dental Association (ADA) Most Popular community for Dentistry. And Most Countries Association Will Follows the American Dental Association. The Most Common Tooth Numbering Notations are,

1. Palmer or Zigmondy Numbering System
2. Universal Tooth Numbering System
3. FDI System of Tooth Notation

In 1947, American Dental Association Official announced every dentist, as well as dental professor, follow the Zigmondy Numbering System to their Patient while taking a Case history. In 1861, Adolph Zigmondy introduces the Palmer/Zigmondy Notation System and he later modified the system for primary dentition in the year 1874. Due to Difficulties in the keyboard recordings such as not Availability of certain symbols, it won't available for digital Recordings. So, ADA Decided to Stop Recommended Palmer/Zigmondy Notation System. Later, In 1968 Again American Dental Association (ADA) officially recommended the "Universal Tooth Numbering system" for the permanent and primary tooth numbering system. Some Drawbacks are too found in the Universal System and cause confusion with the palmer/Zigmondy Notation System. To Avoid this much Confusion, Federation Dentaire Internationale (FDI) Proposed the "Two-Digit System", Which is accepted by ADA as Well as Similar Dental associations of various Countries. Two-Digit System is also known as FDI System of Tooth Numbering which is widely used all over the world.

Now we can further see about, 

How to use the Numbering Systems?

Palmer/Zigmondy Notation System

Both the Primary and Permanent Tooth can be denoted by this Numbering System. Primary Dentition is denoted by the Capital/Uppercase Alphabets from A to E. The arch is divided into quadrants for easier Understanding. The Detailed Picture is Given Below,

"A" Denotes Central Incisors

"B" Denotes Lateral Incisors

"C" Denotes Canine

"D" Denotes First Primary Molar

"E" Denotes Second Primary Molar

The Above Letters are Similar Notations for All Quadrants of Primary Teeth.

For Permanent Dentition, Tooth is denoted by the Numbers from "1 to 8" in all the four Quadrants.

"1" Denotes Central Incisors

"2" Denotes Lateral Incisors

"3" Denotes Canine

"4" Denotes First Premolar

"5" Denotes Second Premolar

"6" Denotes First Permanent Molar

"7" Denotes Second Permanent Molar

"8" Denotes Third Permanent Molar

The Above Numbers are Similar Notations for All Quadrants of Permanent Teeth. 

Universal Numbering System

The Universal Numbering System Will Be Used in the primary as well as permanent Dentition. For Primary Dentition, Uppercase Letters from "A" to "K" are Used to denotes the dentition which is continuous from the Ist to IVth Quadrants.

For Permanent Dentition, Numbers from "1" to " "32" are used which is continuous from Ist to IVth Quadrants.

FDI or Two-Digit System

As the name suggests, the tooth has denoted by Two Digits of Numbers. 

For Primary Dentition, 

For the I Quadrant it starts from "51" to "55" (Right to Left).

For the II Quadrants, it Starts from "61" to "65" (Left to Right).

For the III Quadrant, it Starts from "71" to "75" (Left to Right).

For the IV Quadrant, it is Start from "81" to "85" (Right to Left).

For Permanent Dentition,

For the I Quadrant, it starts from "11" to "18" (Right to Left).

For the II Quadrant, it Starts from "21" to "28" (Left to Right).

For the III Quadrant, it Starts from "31" to "38"(Left to Right).

For the IV Quadrant, it is Start from "41" to "48" (Right to Left).

For  Example "11" is Pronounced as 1, 1 not Eleven. It is the Same throughout the FDI System.

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