Dental Standards
Dental standards ensure that everyone is on the same page—those who design and manufacture dental products and the dentists who use them. Through comprehensive analysis, the ADA establishes baseline standards and technical recommendations for almost every tool of modern dentistry, from radiographic systems to sealants to manual toothbrushes.
Our mission is to ensure the highest level of patient safety and professional satisfaction through the publication of clear industry standards for both dental products and dental informatics. The ADA is the accredited dental standards body of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and also designated the official United States representative for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee 106 Dentistry (TC 106).
Standards and Standards Administration
The ADA Standards Administration Department (DSA) manages two consensus bodies for standards development: the ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics (SCDI) and the ADA Standards Committee on Dental Products (SCDP). The ADA is also the sponsor and secretariat of the United States Technical Advisory Group to ISO Technical Committee 106 Dentistry (U.S. TAG for ISO/TC 106).
The ADA is an ANSI accredited standards developing organization. ADA standards have been approved as American National Standards by ANSI and thus they are designated as ANSI/ADA Standards. Further, ANSI is the U.S. member to ISO. The U.S. TAG for ISO/TC 106 determines the U.S. vote on all dental standards and provides this input to ANSI for ISO/TC 106.
Download information on dental standards development programs here:
ADA Technical Report No. 168:2020 Guidance on Method Development and Validation of Cleaning Processes for Dental Instruments addresses the gap in guidance needed to adequately clean dental instruments using a validated cleaning process as part of instrument reprocessing.
Reusable dental instruments that are designed and labeled for multiple uses must be reprocessed by thorough cleaning followed by sterilization or high-level disinfection between patients, according to FDA guidelines. The FDA classifies several dental instruments, including rotary bur instruments and diamond instruments, as “critical reprocessed single-use devices” that must submit validation data regarding cleaning as part of their premarket submission to the FDA to demonstrate that the device to be marketed is safe and effective. This document uses the cleaning process for rotary bur instruments as an example to provide recommendations for the formulation and validation of reprocessing instructions that will allow dentists to practice safe and effective instrumentation.
This document was developed by the ADA Standards Committee on Dental Products and is available for free download for ADA members ($37 for non-members). The ADA Science & Research Institute was instrumental in developing the report and is conducting research into the development of a dental test soil to validate the efficacy of cleaning methods at removing soil from dental rotary instruments.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact the ADA Standards Department at standards@ada.org or call 312-440-2506.
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The goal of the ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics (SCDI) is to help dentists streamline and empower their practices through the use of information technology. The SCDI develops standards for choosing the hardware, software and digital imaging solutions to create a fully computerized practice.
More information on SCDI
The ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics (SCDI) will hold their next meeting February 22–24, 2021 virtually. Meeting registration will be posted soon.
Before you purchase new equipment, instruments or materials for your dental practice, consult the latest standards and reports issued by the ADA Standards Committee on Dental Products (SCDP). Volunteers work to produce detailed standards for almost every professional and public oral health product. These standards help to ensure the health and safety of both the dental patient and dental professional by setting the requirements that will deliver consistent quality and effectiveness.
More information on SCDP
The ADA Standards Committee on Dental Products (SCDP) and the U.S. TAG for ISO/TC 106 Dentistry Annual will hold their annual meeting on July 19-21, 2021 in Boston. This meeting is held in the days prior to the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) Meeting. Meeting registration and hotel details will be posted as they become available.
With the expansion of the global market in dental products and supplies, it’s crucial to have reliable international standards that ensure compliance and safety across borders. The ADA is the voice of American dentistry around the world. All dentistry-related standards in ISO are handled through Technical Committee 106 Dentistry. ANSI has chosen the ADA to be the sponsor and secretariat of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group (U.S. TAG), which is the American voting body for all international dental standards.
The U.S. TAG meets annually in conjunction with the SCDP (see meeting information in section above). ISO/TC 106 will hold its next annual meeting in San Diego, CA on Aug. 29 to Sept. 3, 2021. Attendees must be registered members of the U.S. TAG to attend the international meeting. For more information, please contact Kathy Medic at medick@ada.org or 312.440.2533.
More information on U.S. TAG
Purchase ANSI/ADA Standards
All ANSI/ADA Standards, Technical Reports and Technical Specifications for Dental Products and Informatics are available online for purchase. Each standard is written by the dental profession for the dental profession and illustrates the ADA’s leadership in standards for safe and effective oral healthcare. All standards may be securely purchased and electronically downloaded for instant access or may be purchased in hard copy format and mailed. To view all of the ANSI/ADA standards available for purchase, visit the ADA Store.
To purchase ISO standards, visit the ANSI webstore.
Questions?
You may contact us the following ways:
Email: standards@ada.org
Phone: 312.440.2506
Fax: 312.440.7461, Attn: Standards
Mail: Department of Standards Administration
American Dental Association
211 E. Chicago Ave., 18th floor
Chicago, IL 60611