Dental notation: FDI vs Universal

Rebrief lets you chart in whichever tooth-numbering system your clinic uses. You pick it once, and every tooth number you see throughout the app follows that choice.

The two systems

Rebrief supports the two most common notations:

• FDI / ISO (International). Each tooth has a two-digit number. The first digit is the quadrant (1 through 4 for adult teeth), and the second digit is the tooth's position from the midline (1 through 8). For example, the upper-right second molar is 17, and the lower-left central incisor is 31.
• Universal (US). Teeth are numbered sequentially from 1 to 32, starting at the upper-right third molar (1), running across the top to the upper-left (16), then down to the lower-left (17) and across to the lower-right (32). In this system, the upper-right second molar is 2.

Both systems describe the same 32 adult teeth — they just label them differently. FDI / ISO is the international standard; Universal is the convention used across much of the United States.

Note: Picking a notation only changes how tooth numbers are labeled. It does not change which teeth exist or any of your clinical data.

How Rebrief uses your choice

Once you set a notation, Rebrief charts in it consistently:

• Tooth numbers on the odontogram, in your notes, and anywhere else a tooth is referenced use your chosen system.
• When you dictate or describe work during an appointment, the tooth you name is matched to the right tooth in your notation.
• Conversion happens behind the scenes, so you never have to translate numbers yourself or worry about mismatches between different parts of the app.

Where to set it

You can choose your notation in two places:

• During setup. When you first finish setting up your account, the onboarding form includes a Tooth notation choice (FDI/ISO or UNS).
• In Settings, any time after. Go to Settings, and in the Account Settings card find Default Notation. Choose either FDI (International) or Universal (US), then select Save Settings at the bottom of the page.

If you never change it, Rebrief defaults to FDI / ISO.

Tip: Notation is tied to your own account, so each member of your team can chart in the system they're most comfortable with — your choice doesn't change what your colleagues see.

A related setting

Right next to Default Notation you'll also find Default Probing Protocol. That's a separate preference covering how Rebrief works through teeth during periodontal probing — it is not the same as tooth notation, and changing one does not affect the other.