Tooth Numbering

and the
Oral Cavity 3 2011-2012

CDT
Current Dental Terminology
 3

Tooth Numbering and the Oral Cavity

Tooth Numbering and
the Oral Cavity
The American Dental Association, through policy adopted by the House of Delegates,
recognizes two major tooth numbering taxonomies: 1) Universal/National System,
which is used primarily in the United States of America; and 2) International Standards
Organization System (ANSI/ADA/ISO Specification No. 3950 – 1984 Dentistry
Designation System for Tooth and Areas of the Oral Cavity), which is used in many
countries outside the USA.

Due to its limited use within the United States, “ANSI/ADA/ISO Specification 
No. 3950 – 1984 Dentistry Designation System for Tooth and Areas of the 
Oral Cavity” is described in the Appendix to this section.

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Tooth Numbering and the Oral Cavity

Universal/National System

This taxonomy is designed to uniquely identify permanent dentition and primary

(deciduous) dentition. Supernumerary teeth may also be identified using the Universal/
National System.

The Universal/National System is identified as code set “JP” in references found on 

the ADA Dental Claim form and on HIPAA standard electronic dental claim transactions.
This numbering protocol is described below, and is also found on later pages in this
section that contain illustrations of the maxillary and mandibular arches.

Permanent Dentition
A number from 1 to 32 identifies each tooth in sequential order across both arches, 
as follows:
( 1) is the patient’s upper right third molar, and follows around the upper arch to the
patient’s upper left third molar (16), descending to the patient’s lower left third molar
(17) and follows around the lower arch to the patient’s lower right third molar (32).

Supernumerary Teeth, Permanent Dentition –

Supernumerary teeth in the permanent dentition are identified in the ADA’s Universal/
National Tooth Designation System (‘JP’) by the numbers 51 through 82, beginning with
the area of the upper right third molar, following around the upper arch and continuing
on the lower arch to the area of the lower right third molar (for example, supernumerary
number 51 is adjacent to the upper right third molar number 1; supernumerary number
82 is adjacent to the lower right third molar number 32). This enumeration is illustrated
in the following chart:

Upper Arch (commencing in the upper right quadrant and rotating counterclockwise)

Tooth # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

“Super”# 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66

Lower Arch

Tooth # 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17

“Super”# 82 81 80 79 78 77 76 75 74 73 72 71 70 69 68 67

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Tooth Numbering and the Oral Cavity

Primary (deciduous) Dentition
An upper case letter from A to T identifies each tooth in sequential order across the
upper arch, descending to and following around the lower arch, as follows:

( A) is the patient’s upper right second primary molar and (T) is the patient’s lower
right second primary molar.

Supernumerary Teeth, Primary Dentition –

Supernumerary teeth in the primary dentition are identified by the placement of the
letter “S” following the letter identifying the adjacent primary tooth (for example,
supernumerary “AS” is adjacent to “A”; supernumerary “TS” is adjacent to “T”). 
This enumeration is illustrated in the following chart:

Upper Arch (commencing in the upper right quadrant and rotating counterclockwise)

  Tooth # A B C D E F G H I J

  “Super”# AS BS CS DS ES FS GS HS IS JS

Lower Arch

  Tooth # T S R Q P O N M L K

  “Super”# TS SS RS QS PS OS NS MS LS KS

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Tooth Numbering and the Oral Cavity

Illustrations of the Oral Cavity

The following pages contain illustrations of the oral cavity that portray primary dentition
and permanent dentition. Individual teeth are identified by name and by number, using
the Universal/National Tooth Designation System. The perspective is facing the patient,
which means that tooth number 1 (upper right primary third molar) is to the upper
left side of the illustration.

The Permanent Arch

lingual surface (anterior  incisal surface (anterior)
or posterior)
Upper Right 8 9 Upper Left
7 10
6 11 facial or labial surface (anterior)
5 12
buccal surface (posterior) occlusal surface (posterior)
4 13

3 14
mesial surface (anterior
or posterior) 2 15

1 16
distal surface 
(anterior or posterior)

32 17

31 18

30 19

Lower Right 29 20 Lower Left

28 21

27 22
26 25 24 23

1. 3rd molar (wisdom tooth)
2. 2nd molar (12-yr. molar)
3. 1st molar (6-yr. molar)
4. 2nd bicuspid (2nd premolar)
5. 1st bicuspid (1st premolar)
6. cuspid (canine/eye tooth)
7. lateral incisor
8. central incisor
9. central incisor
10. lateral incisor
11. cuspid (canine/eye tooth)
12. 1st bicuspid (1st premolar)
13. 2nd bicuspid (2nd premolar)
14. 1st molar (6-yr. molar)
15. 2nd molar (12-yr. molar)
16. 3rd molar (wisdom tooth)
17. 3rd molar (wisdom tooth)
18. 2nd molar (12-yr. molar)
19. 1st molar (6-yr. molar)
20. 2nd bicuspid (2nd premolar)
21. 1st bicuspid (1st premolar)
22. cuspid (canine/eye tooth)
23. lateral incisor
24. central incisor
25. central incisor
26. lateral incisor
27. cuspid (canine/eye tooth)
28. 1st bicuspid (1st premolar)
29. 2nd bicuspid (2nd premolar)
30. 1st molar (6-yr. molar)
31. 2nd molar (12-yr. molar)
32. 3rd molar (wisdom tooth)

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Tooth Numbering and the Oral Cavity

The Primary Arch

Upper teeth erupt shed

central incisor 8-12 mos. 6-7 yrs.
lateral incisor 9-13 mos. 7-8 yrs.
canine (cuspid) 16-22 mos. 10-12 yrs.
first molar 13-19 mos. 9-11 yrs.
second molar 25-33 mos. 10-12 yrs.

Upper Right Upper Left

Upper teeth
central incisor
lateral incisor E F
D G
canine (cuspid) C H
first molar
B I
second molar
A J

lower teeth
T K
second molar
S L first molar
R M canine (cuspid)
Q P O N lateral incisor
central incisor

Lower Right Lower Left

lower teeth erupt shed

second molar 23-31 mos. 10-12 yrs.
first molar 14-18 mos. 9-11 yrs.
canine (cuspid) 17-23 mos. 9-12 yrs.
lateral incisor 10-16 mos. 7-8 yrs.
central incisor 6-10 mos. 6-7 yrs.

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Tooth Numbering and the Oral Cavity

Appendix – ANSI/ADA/ISO Specification No. 3950

This system (ANSI/ADA/ISO Specification No. 3950 – 1984 Dentistry Designation
System for Tooth and Areas of the Oral Cavity) is designed to identify areas of the oral
cavity as well as uniquely number permanent and primary dentition. This code set does
not yet identify supernumerary teeth. It is used in many countries outside the USA, as
well as being a component of developing electronic dental transactions, such as the
‘dental laboratory prescription’.

The ISO System is also identified as code set “JO” in references found on the ADA
Dental Claim form and on HIPAA standard electronic dental claim transactions. Each
component of this numbering system, starting with ‘Areas of the Oral Cavity’ and
followed by ‘Designation of Teeth’, is described below.

Areas of the Oral Cavity

The areas of the oral cavity are designated by a two-digit code, where at least one 
of the two digits is zero, as follows:

00 designates the whole of the oral cavity

01 designates the maxillary area
02 designates the mandibular area

10 designates the upper right quadrant

20 designates the upper left quadrant
30 designates the lower left quadrant
40 designates the lower right quadrant

03 designates the upper right sextant

04 designates the upper anterior sextant
05 designates the upper left sextant
06 designates the lower left sextant

07 designates the lower anterior sextant

08 designates the lower right sextant

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Tooth Numbering and the Oral Cavity

Designation of Teeth
Teeth are designated by a two-digit code. The first digit of the code indicates the
quadrant and the second indicates the tooth in the quadrant.

This designation system is illustrated using the following matrix:

  First digit (quadrant) numbered clockwise from the upper right side

  Type of Dentition Quadrant Number Second digit (tooth),

numbered from the medial
line in a distal direction

   Permanent Upper Right 1

Upper Left 2 1 to 8
Lower Left 3
Lower Right 4

  Primary (deciduous) Upper Right 5

Upper Left 6 1 to 5
Lower Left 7
Lower Right 8

Examples:

Permanent Dentition:
11 = Upper Right Central Incisor
36 = Lower Left 1st Molar

Primary (deciduous) Dentition:

53 = Upper Right Canine
72 = Lower Left Lateral Incisor

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Tooth Numbering and the Oral Cavity

Illustration of Oral Cavity Codes and Tooth Numbers

The following matrix contains the full ANSI/ADA/ISO Specification No. 3950 coding
schema. Relative positions within the oral cavity are shown.

01    (Maxillary Arch)

10    (Upper Right Quadrant) 20    (Upper Left Quadrant)

18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

55 54 53 52 51 61 62 63 64 65

85 84 83 82 81 71 72 73 74 75

48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38

40 (Lower Right Quadrant) 30 (Lower Left Quadrant)

02    (Mandibular Arch)

116   © 2010 American Dental Association