Dental chart symbols

Dental chart symbols are the standard marks, letters and colors dentists use to record each tooth’s condition and treatment on a patient’s chart. On most charts, red marks a problem or planned work and blue marks completed work. An X flags a tooth that’s missing or due for extraction.

Each symbol sits on a numbered tooth. The numbering follows one of three systems: Universal in the US, FDI internationally, or Palmer in some UK and orthodontic settings.

This guide covers the symbol legend, all three notation systems, periodontal marks, common abbreviations, and how to read a completed chart step by step. It also shows how to translate a tooth number when a chart arrives from a practice that uses a different system.

Key takeaways

Dental chart symbols are standardized marks used to record oral findings, treatment history and clinical status on a patient’s chart.

Three notation systems number the teeth: Universal (1-32, the US standard), FDI (two digits, international) and Palmer (a quadrant grid used in some UK practices).

Red usually marks existing conditions or planned treatment and blue marks completed treatment, though color conventions vary between practices and software.

Practice management software like Pabau stores charts, forms and notes in the patient record, so a patient’s charting history stays in one place.

What are dental chart symbols?

Dental chart symbols are a visual shorthand for clinical findings. Rather than writing out that a molar has a two-surface filling, a clinician draws the mark on a tooth chart and moves on. The result is compact enough to scan in seconds.

The same marks support treatment planning, team handoffs and referrals. They also form the legal record of what was found and done, and they let you track changes in a patient’s oral health across visits.

The three dental notation systems explained

Three notation systems define how dentists refer to and chart individual teeth. The one you use depends on geography, specialty and practice preference.

Universal system: Permanent teeth 1-32

The Universal system numbers permanent teeth 1-32, starting with the upper right third molar as tooth #1. Numbering runs across the upper arch to #16, the upper left third molar. It then drops to #17 (lower left third molar) and ends at #32 (lower right third molar). Primary teeth use letters A-T in the same order.

Our baby teeth eruption chart shows when each of those 20 primary teeth typically appears.

FDI two-digit system

The FDI system uses two digits. The first identifies the quadrant: 1-4 for permanent teeth and 5-8 for primary teeth. The second gives the tooth’s position from the midline, from 1 (central incisor) to 8. Tooth 16 is the upper right first molar in the permanent dentition. FDI is the international standard (ISO 3950) and is widely used outside the United States.

Palmer notation system

Palmer notation pairs a grid symbol (┘└┐┌) showing the quadrant with the tooth’s position from the midline. Permanent teeth are numbered 1-8, and primary teeth use the letters A-E instead. Palmer is less common in digital charting. It’s still taught in some dental schools and used in some UK practices and orthodontic settings.

All three systems split the mouth into the same four quadrants and differ only in their labels. The map below shows each quadrant in all three, using the upper right first molar as a worked example.

Dental chart symbols and meanings: The complete legend

The core symbols represent clinical conditions and treatments. Each has its own graphical form, and most follow the red (existing or planned) and blue (completed) color convention.

Bridges and implants have no single standard letter. Any abbreviation for them is practice-specific, so check your practice’s legend or software key before relying on one.

Color coding: Red vs blue

The red and blue convention is widespread but not universally standardized. Red usually indicates existing conditions, such as decay, or planned treatment, such as a restoration still to be placed. Blue denotes completed treatment or existing restorations. Some practices use other color schemes or none at all, so confirm your practice’s convention during onboarding.

Periodontal charting symbols

Periodontal charting adds its own marks for gum health, pocket depths and furcation involvement. They sit alongside the standard tooth chart, and a perio chart form keeps them on one page.

• Pocket depth numbers (mm): Probing depths recorded at six sites per tooth (mesio-buccal, mid-buccal, disto-buccal, mesio-lingual, mid-lingual, disto-lingual).
• BOP (bleeding on probing): A dot or asterisk marking sites where the gum bleeds when probed, a sign of active inflammation.
• Furcation involvement: Class I, II, or III notation indicating bone loss in the furcation area, where the tooth roots diverge.
• Recession: Measurement of the gingival margin’s position relative to the cemento-enamel junction.
• Mobility: A grade 1-3 scale for abnormal tooth movement, which suggests compromised periodontal support.

Common dental charting abbreviations

Abbreviations complement symbols with quick shorthand for surfaces, materials and treatments. The surface letters are M (mesial), O (occlusal), D (distal), B (buccal), L (lingual) and I (incisal). Combined, they describe multi-surface restorations. Common examples:

• MOD: Mesio-occlusal-distal (three surfaces restored).
• DO: Disto-occlusal.
• MO: Mesio-occlusal.
• RCT: Root canal treatment.
• CR: Crown.
• SRP: Scaling and root planing (periodontal treatment).
• BU: Buildup (core buildup before crown placement).
• RC: Root canal.

How to read a dental chart: Step-by-step

Reading a dental chart takes three things: The notation system in use, the symbol set, and the color convention. Follow these steps:

1. Identify the notation system: Check whether the chart uses Universal (1-32), FDI (two-digit), or Palmer (grid) notation. This is usually noted at the top of the chart.
2. Locate the tooth: Using that system, find the specific tooth number or code on the chart.
3. Identify symbols and colors: Look for any symbols drawn on or around that tooth, such as decay, a restoration or a crown. Red typically denotes an existing or planned condition, and blue denotes completed treatment.
4. Check for abbreviations: Read any text notes or abbreviations linked to the tooth (e.g., “MOD composite” or “RCT”).
5. Review periodontal notations (if present): If a perio chart is attached, check the pocket depth numbers and BOP marks at each site.
6. Cross-reference with the treatment plan: Compare chart findings with the patient’s treatment plan and clinical notes to separate existing conditions from planned treatment.

Reading a chart from another system

Referrals between US and international practices are where tooth numbers get misread. An FDI chart that marks tooth 36 for extraction means the lower left first molar, which is #19 on a Universal chart. Convert the number before you read the symbol, and never assume a two-digit number is FDI.

Name the system in your own records too. A line at the top of every dental note template you use spares the next clinician the same guesswork.

Digital dental charting

Digital dental charting replaces paper charts with an electronic record, which cuts transcription errors and keeps each chart legible for the whole team. Most dental charting software lets you pick a symbol from a menu and places it on the tooth for you. The exact look of each mark varies by platform.

Saved charts also make comparison over time easier, because each visit’s findings stay on file rather than being drawn over. That history matters most when several clinicians treat the same patient.

Tips for dental students

Dental students should start with the Universal system, the standard in US schools, and the core symbols: Decay, restoration, extraction, crown and root canal. Learn all three notation systems, but prioritize whichever your curriculum emphasizes. Reading completed charts during clinic placements makes the symbols familiar quickly.

Study tip: Make your own reference cards with symbol drawings, and quiz yourself weekly on tooth numbers and meanings. If your school provides a symbol legend, keep a copy with you during patient exams.

How Pabau keeps dental charts and records together

Plenty of practices still chart on paper, scan the page, and file consent forms and notes somewhere else. Finding a patient’s last chart then means checking two or three places.

Pabau, the practice management platform we build, stores charts, forms and notes in the patient record. Pabau’s digital forms collect intake and consent before the visit, and the patient record keeps them next to the chart.

Pabau Scribe, our AI scribe, drafts the clinical note from the consultation. Less of each visit gets typed up after hours, and the record is complete when the next clinician opens it.

Keep charts, forms and notes in one record

Pabau stores dental charts, intake forms and clinical notes in the patient record, so your team finds a patient’s history in one place. Pabau Scribe drafts the clinical note from the consultation.

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Conclusion

Learn the notation system your patients’ charts arrive in first, then drill the core symbols until you can read a chart without a key. In the US that means Universal, and almost everywhere else it means FDI.

The color convention is the part to double-check, because practices don’t all apply it the same way. Confirm your practice’s legend on day one, and name the notation system on any chart you send out.

Book a demo to see how Pabau keeps charts, forms and notes in the patient record for your dental team.

Continue your research

Charting a new patient? Dental new patient form captures registration, medical history and dental concerns before the first exam.

Following up an implant? Implant follow-up SOAP note structures the review visit from history through to plan.

Filing a dental claim? ADA claim form guide covers the patient details every dental claim depends on.

Frequently asked questions