In the vast majority of cases, dentists can count on dealing with the usual 32 teeth (or 20 for children with all their primary teeth). However, sometimes there’s more than that — and these so-called supernumerary teeth can complicate charting and communication.
Charting supernumerary teeth can be surprisingly complex. These additional teeth often vary in location, shape, and composition, creating challenges for accurate identification, charting, and communication across the care team.
Dentists using paper charts or outdated software frequently struggle to record these variations efficiently and accurately. Miscommunication around supernumerary teeth numbering can lead to confusion, insurance claim errors, and workflow bottlenecks.
Modern, cloud-based solutions like Oryx make supernumerary teeth charting straightforward and standardized — saving time, improving accuracy, and simplifying communication between team members and caregivers.
What Are Supernumerary Teeth?
Supernumerary teeth are any teeth that develop in addition to the normal number. They can appear anywhere in the dental arch and may be conical, supplemental, or tuberculate in shape. Some may resemble odontomas (benign growths composed of dental tissue) or be associated with dentigerous cysts.
One of the most common forms is the mesiodens, which typically appears between the upper central incisors. While rare, these extra teeth require precise charting and monitoring, especially in pediatric patients where growth patterns are still developing.
The ADA Supernumerary Tooth Numbering System Explained
In the ADA universal numbering system, supernumerary teeth are charted by adding 50 to the number of the nearest permanent tooth. For example, if an extra tooth appears near the second-to-last molar on the upper right side (tooth #2), the supernumerary would be numbered #52.
However, this system doesn’t specify the exact position (front, back, or inline), leading to ambiguity when sharing records or submitting insurance claims. When multiple supernumerary teeth exist, consistent digital charting becomes critical for clarity and documentation accuracy.
For primary supernumerary teeth, the ADA system uses an “S” notation, though implementation varies between software platforms — another reason why a purpose-built pediatric odontogram is so valuable.
The Challenges of Supernumerary Teeth Charting
The usual 32 teeth tend to show up in predictable locations and have predictable shapes. But when you’re dealing with dental charting for extra teeth, all predictability goes out the window. Complexities in identification and notation make these teeth singularly difficult to share information about.
The ADA tooth numbering system involves adding 50 to the number of the “regular” tooth that a supernumerary is closest to. For example, if there’s one next to the second-to-last molar on the upper right side, that will be charted as tooth #52. However, in many cases, the tooth can be either in front of, in back of, or in line with the “nearest tooth” — and the ADA number won’t say where.
There’s another catch: The classification of supernumerary teeth also involves shape and composition. A patient could have conical, supplemental, or tuberculate teeth; they could instead have an odontoma (a benign, slow-growing tumor made of dental tissue); perhaps there’s even a dentigerous cyst (a fluid-filled sac surrounding an unerupted tooth). The most common type of extra teeth in the mouth would be mesiodens, typically appearing between the upper front teeth.
With paper-based systems for recording supernumerary tooth numbers and their types, there are risks of miscommunication, inefficiency, and insurance claim errors. Nonetheless, many dentists continue to use such methods due to a lack of pediatric-specific services and limited visual integration for diagnostics and workflow management in many software solutions.
Oryx: Setting a New Standard for Supernumerary Teeth Charting
It’s past time for a charting solution that takes care of every possible need of the modern pediatric dental office. Based upon a thorough understanding of what pediatric dentists deal with day to day, Oryx has devised easy-to-use tools for additional teeth coding within an activatable pediatric odontogram tailored for younger patients.
The visually based interface enhances understanding and usability with the seamless integration of lesion images, diastema detection, and filling size indicators. With Oryx’s comprehensive, visual odontograms, streamlined workflow, and bias-free assessments, dentists can enjoy:
- Real-time updates for seamless collaboration
- Configurable modules ensuring standardization
- Streamlined caregiver collaboration with enhanced communication tools
- Unbiased, standardized clinical module for better exam accuracy
- Comprehensive exams completed in just 10-15 minutes
- Tools to track assistant efficiency and improve practice management
The cloud-based platform is also scalable and secure for multi-location practices since it’s been designed with DSOs in mind.
Step-by-Step: How Oryx Simplifies Supernumerary Teeth Charting
To get a supernumerary teeth chart for young patients, dentists can easily switch to the pediatric odontogram. This application automatically applies ADA tooth numbering for extra teeth (e.g., adding 50 to the closest tooth number for permanent teeth and “S” for primary teeth).
To connect diagnostics with your workflow, you can incorporate visual lesion types and habit lists into your patient records. This ensures consistent records for insurance claims, even while completing insurance coding for supernumerary teeth.
Filling an Essential Gap in Pediatric Dental Charting
The state of dental practice management software and cloud-based dental charting has, for quite some time, been rather grim with respect to pediatric dental needs. Most charting tools focus on permanent teeth, since these are considered the most relevant for long-term dental health. Unfortunately, a lack of clear communication around primary teeth can set a patient up for poor oral health even when all primary teeth are gone.
There’s also the obvious issue that pediatric dental charting — particularly regarding how to chart supernumerary teeth — is incredibly complicated, and many makers of charting software simply haven’t put in the time to make it easier. Oryx’s commitment to bridging all the gaps in pediatric dental software is a major reason why dentists are switching over from competing systems.
Make Your Practice Even More Kid-Friendly with Oryx
When you’ve got comprehensive pediatric services, visual diagnostics, efficient workflows, and scalable cloud-based technology at your fingertips, it gets easier to do what you do best: giving kids the best care in a calming environment while keeping parents up to date on their children’s oral health.
Ready to explore an all-in-one solution for charting supernumerary teeth?
Schedule a demo to see for yourself how Oryx can take your pediatric dental office to new heights.
