What Is The Tooth Numbering System?

Have you ever wondered why the top front teeth are called 4 and 6, but the bottom set of teeth are called 12 and 14? It all has to do with the American Dental Association (ADA) tooth numbering system, which they created to help dentists communicate more effectively. This system was also designed to make it easier for patients to understand their dentist’s records.

What Is A Dental Tooth Number Chart?

Most of us have seen tooth numbers somewhere, whether on a chart or written on an exam room wall. But what exactly are these numbers for? There are several ways to identify teeth, including using their anatomic location and name, their position in your mouth (upper right second molar), and their corresponding number (3). This can make it difficult to keep track of which tooth is which. A dental numbering system simplifies things by assigning a number to each individual tooth. Why Use A Dental Number Chart?

How To Read A Dental Number Chart: In order to read a dental number chart, you must first understand how they’re organized. First off, we have quadrants. These four sections divide your mouth into upper left and lower left sections as well as upper right and lower right sections. Each quadrant is then broken down into thirds—this means that there are 12 columns within each quadrant (four across and three down). Next comes rows—there are 20 rows total (five across with two going down per row). Finally, we get to individual teeth themselves—each tooth has its own unique number. It’s important to note that even though there are 20 rows total, not all of them contain teeth!

How Are Teeth Numbered?

Most people take for granted that their teeth are numbered from top to bottom, but dentists have a different system. It starts at tooth one in your lower jaw. In your upper jaw, it starts with your front tooth closest to your nose (usually a canine or lateral incisor). A lower case letter i is then used to identify each tooth in order. So if you have eight teeth on both top and bottom, you would be tooth number i8. If you had a gap between two teeth, it would be referred to as i7-i6. If there were another gap between your last two molars (your wisdom teeth), it would be referred to as i4-i3. Teeth names: Once you know what tooth numbers correspond with which teeth, learning what they’re called becomes easier too!

What Are Wisdom Teeth Numbers?

Wisdom teeth are commonly known as third molars. They’re not true wisdom teeth, but any other name would just be confusing. To make matters worse, different sets of wisdom teeth are numbered differently! We’ve created a Tooth Numbers chart for your convenience and to help you out when it comes to tooth numbering and names. You can also read through our Teeth Names chart for a guide to get you started on your search for wisdom teeth numbers, names and charts!

There is no such thing as wisdom teeth because they’re all important. While there’s no such thing as wisdom teeth, they do appear later in life in comparison to most people’s other set of adult teeth (or primary dentition). In fact, wisdom teeth usually begin to emerge between ages 17 and 25 (on average), which is why some dentists recommend that young adults have their oral health examined before then—to see if there might be an issue with emerging wisdom teeth. Most people don’t need surgery or treatment if their emerging adult molars are healthy; however, it’s best to know about them early so you can decide how to proceed—if at all—in advance.

What Are The Different Types Of Tooth Numbering System?

There are a few different ways to number teeth. But since, at least in America, we use both of these tooth numbering systems, we’ll be focusing on these two. As you might have guessed by now, there are two main types of dental numbering systems: 1) International and 2) American. Which one you use is largely determined by your region (and chances are you’re using one of them.) But what exactly does each mean? And how do they differ from one another?

Let’s find out. The first thing to know about these tooth numbering systems is that they all start with #1, which refers to our central incisor—the front-most tooth on either side of our mouth. So when we talk about #8 or #9, for example, we’re talking about our lateral incisors (which are also known as our bicuspids). What differs between these two tooth numbering systems is their approach toward naming other teeth. In fact, depending on which system you use, some teeth will go unnamed entirely! How so? Well let’s look at both examples side-by-side:

What Are Teeth Numbers And Names?

Tooth numbers are used in conjunction with names to refer to individual teeth. A tooth chart numbers and a corresponding name chart are essential tools for oral healthcare professionals. And, no, it’s not simply a list of each tooth followed by its number—there’s more to it than that. Below is a breakdown of what these charts include. Remember, they aren’t interchangeable—so if you see a dentist using a chart other than those listed below, be sure to clarify which system he or she is referring to.

Universal Numbering System

Dentists around the world use a universal numbering system to refer to teeth. So, whether you’re in Los Angeles or Hong Kong, if your dentist asks you to say number four, he or she is talking about your fourth upper tooth (from left to right). The same is true of lower teeth; if your dentist asks you what number tooth hurts when you bite down on something, it doesn’t matter where in the world you are—you can point right away.

Palmer Notation Numbering System

That’s not just a catchy tune from your dentist, it’s also what teeth are organized and numbered based on. Everyone has 32 teeth: 8 incisors, 4 cuspids (canines), 12 premolars and 8 molars. In case you didn’t already know that, Dr. David Dao (yes, he is a real person) created what is known as Palmer notation for number-based tooth organization. Palmer notation starts with one side of each jaw (4 incisors and 2 cuspids on both sides) followed by two rows with an increasing number of teeth; four premolars/two molars on top and three premolars/one molar below.

Federation Dentaire Internationale Numbering System

The FDI system has numbers and letters that denote where a tooth is located in relation to other teeth. Incisors are designated with an I followed by a number representing their location; for example, I1 refers to your upper left incisor. Premolars are designated by an P, followed by a number and then a letter. For example, P3m2 would be your lower right premolar.

Baby Teeth Eruption Chart

If you’re looking for a more visual way to understand dental-health milestones, check out our baby teeth eruption chart. It displays tooth numbers and corresponding ages. For example, if you have a question about whether your child has an abnormally large gap between her front teeth, look at the #6 and #7 spaces on our chart: Typically a 3-year-old’s #6 tooth will be through and their #7 is partially visible (just like in a regular smiley face). If your child’s two front teeth are close together, don’t worry—the spaces will begin to open up as soon as those two adult teeth come in. Your dentist can also use his or her own comprehensive dental chart to answer any questions or concerns.

Permanent Teeth Eruption Chart

On average, baby teeth begin falling out around age 6 and adult teeth start replacing them by age 12. Baby teeth are often named using a phonetic alphabet: The M tooth is in front of your two Ws (wisdom), followed by your four Fs (the second set of molars), then your six Ns (the first set of molars) and finally, your two Ps (the canines). We encourage you to schedule an appointment with us! We hope you enjoyed learning about dental terminology!