ADA proposes national forensics data standard

The ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics has spent two years developing a national forensics data standard, which is now being circulated for review and comment, according to an ADA News article.

The aim is to develop uniform nomenclature for forensic dentistry and, ultimately, a standardized electronic format to transfer this data.

Currently, "dentists are using different names for fillings, nonstandard abbreviations, and nonspecific descriptors such as 'moderate periodontal disease,' " said Kenneth Aschheim, D.D.S., chair of the committee's working group, in the story. "The committee has set out to unify these descriptors. This is important because as we move toward electronic records, any data that cannot be coded cannot be transferred."

Copies of the draft proposal (American National Standards Institute/ADA Specification No. 1058 for Forensic Dental Data Set) are available for review and comment by calling the ADA or e-mailing [email protected].