SNODENT: The language of dentistry

Because it is specifically designed for use with electronic health records, SNODENT helps capture, gather and analyze detailed oral health data. SNODENT is harmonized with SNOMED-CT, the standardized nomenclature for medical care — which means that SNODENT codes work the same way that SNOMED codes do. This is useful in sharing information among health care providers, research organizations and others interested in oral health. SNOMED-CT is also an HL7-recognized set of terms, fully approved for use with HL7 Clinical Document templates such as the Continuing Care Document and the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR, pronounced "fire") standards. This allows for seamless exchange of data between the two platforms.

SNODENT is a very precise set of terms that makes it simpler for clinicians, academics and researchers to record finely detailed oral health data. Because it is interoperable with HL7 and other health care documents, SNODENT transcends factors such as geography, platform differences and care settings — thus providing clearer, more useful data for all oral health professionals.

Many oral health conditions, specific anatomical sites and other clinical concepts can be found only in the SNODENT terminology, making it the most accurate language for describing dental disease, care techniques and more.

By utilizing SNODENT, members of the dental profession can:

• Improve communication among dentists and other health care providers
• Provide more granular data for oral health research
• Support accurate public health reporting and investigation
• Document patient findings for electronic dental records

The ADA began the process of updating SNODENT for use in the current environment several years ago, gradually adapting it to function as a terminology synchronized with SNOMED-CT. SNODENT is an American National Standard approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Updates to SNODENT are released every fall, reflecting changes made over the year. Regular updates may refine logical relationships between concepts and terms, retire concepts no longer in use and introduce new ones.

A dedicated SNODENT Maintenance Committee and team within the ADA’s Center for Informatics and Standards manages updates to SNODENT. Maintenance of SNODENT includes ongoing evaluation of existing concepts, the possible addition of new concepts to SNODENT that do not exist in the current version of SNODENT or SNOMED-CT, and current concepts that may need to be retired. This involves periodic review of SNODENT as well as implementation of a formal submission process from users and other organizations as appropriate. The final approved revision of SNODENT is then submitted to the SNODENT Canvass Committee for ballot through ANSI-approved ADA Canvass Committee Procedures. The ADA follows an open, consensus-based ANSI process that draws on ADA findings and the suggestions of dentists, researchers and other oral health professionals. Working together, we seek to keep the nomenclature aligned with the very latest developments in oral health care.

Membership on the SNODENT Canvass Committee is open to all interested parties. To find out more, email standards@ada.org.

Since 2007, the ADA has made these significant adjustments to SNODENT:

• Eliminated the “not otherwise specified” (NOS) designation.
• Identified frequently used terms.
• Added terms from the ADA Patient Dental and Medical Health History Information Form.
• Assigned concepts to SNODENT hierarchies.
• Reviewed descriptions that were assigned to the concepts.
• Reviewed synonyms for the concepts.
• Developed a cross-walk from SNODENT to ICD-10-CM.
• Obtained recognition of SNODENT as an American National Standard.
• Instituted a formal, open, consensus-based process to manage ongoing changes.
• Harmonized SNODENT with the Dental Diagnostic System (formerly EZ Codes) to create a new subset known as SNO-DDS.
• Selected the most frequently observed, recorded and diagnosed conditions to create SNO-DDS GD , a smaller subset of SNODENT that satisfies most needs within General Dentistry.
• Developed an orthodontic subset, with other specialty subsets currently in development.
  SNODENT now conforms to the Vocabulary Desiderata, which defines 12 qualities that a sound vocabulary should have. Learn more about the 12 characteristics.