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Tooth Reference

Tooth Number Chart & Converter

Type any tooth number, letter or code, such as 19, 36, UR6 or K, to see it in all three numbering systems with its name. Or tap a tooth on the chart.

Example shown. Type any tooth number, letter, code or name.

Try 19, 36, UR6, 6┘, K, 75 or "upper left canine".

Add a Palmer bracket:
What you typed is in

Auto-detect shows every system where your input is a real tooth.

Chart
Numbers on the chart
UPPERLOWERPATIENT'S RIGHTLEFT1234567891011121314151632313029282726252423222120191817

Tap a tooth to see its numbers. With a keyboard, use the arrow keys and Enter.

All 52 teeth in Universal, FDI and Palmer

Universal numbers link to a page about each tooth. Ages are from the ADA eruption charts.

Adult teeth (32)

UniversalFDIPalmerToothComes in
1188┘ UR8Upper right wisdom tooth17–21 y
2177┘ UR7Upper right second molar12–13 y
3166┘ UR6Upper right first molar6–7 y
4155┘ UR5Upper right second premolar10–12 y
5144┘ UR4Upper right first premolar10–11 y
6133┘ UR3Upper right canine11–12 y
7122┘ UR2Upper right lateral incisor8–9 y
8111┘ UR1Upper right central incisor7–8 y
921└1 UL1Upper left central incisor7–8 y
1022└2 UL2Upper left lateral incisor8–9 y
1123└3 UL3Upper left canine11–12 y
1224└4 UL4Upper left first premolar10–11 y
1325└5 UL5Upper left second premolar10–12 y
1426└6 UL6Upper left first molar6–7 y
1527└7 UL7Upper left second molar12–13 y
1628└8 UL8Upper left wisdom tooth17–21 y
1738┌8 LL8Lower left wisdom tooth17–21 y
1837┌7 LL7Lower left second molar11–13 y
1936┌6 LL6Lower left first molar6–7 y
2035┌5 LL5Lower left second premolar11–12 y
2134┌4 LL4Lower left first premolar10–12 y
2233┌3 LL3Lower left canine9–10 y
2332┌2 LL2Lower left lateral incisor7–8 y
2431┌1 LL1Lower left central incisor6–7 y
25411┐ LR1Lower right central incisor6–7 y
26422┐ LR2Lower right lateral incisor7–8 y
27433┐ LR3Lower right canine9–10 y
28444┐ LR4Lower right first premolar10–12 y
29455┐ LR5Lower right second premolar11–12 y
30466┐ LR6Lower right first molar6–7 y
31477┐ LR7Lower right second molar11–13 y
32488┐ LR8Lower right wisdom tooth17–21 y

Baby teeth (20)

UniversalFDIPalmerToothComes inFalls out
A55E┘ UREUpper right baby second molar25–33 mo10–12 y
B54D┘ URDUpper right baby first molar13–19 mo9–11 y
C53C┘ URCUpper right baby canine16–22 mo10–12 y
D52B┘ URBUpper right baby lateral incisor9–13 mo7–8 y
E51A┘ URAUpper right baby central incisor8–12 mo6–7 y
F61└A ULAUpper left baby central incisor8–12 mo6–7 y
G62└B ULBUpper left baby lateral incisor9–13 mo7–8 y
H63└C ULCUpper left baby canine16–22 mo10–12 y
I64└D ULDUpper left baby first molar13–19 mo9–11 y
J65└E ULEUpper left baby second molar25–33 mo10–12 y
K75┌E LLELower left baby second molar23–31 mo10–12 y
L74┌D LLDLower left baby first molar14–18 mo9–11 y
M73┌C LLCLower left baby canine17–23 mo9–12 y
N72┌B LLBLower left baby lateral incisor10–16 mo7–8 y
O71┌A LLALower left baby central incisor6–10 mo6–7 y
P81A┐ LRALower right baby central incisor6–10 mo6–7 y
Q82B┐ LRBLower right baby lateral incisor10–16 mo7–8 y
R83C┐ LRCLower right baby canine17–23 mo9–12 y
S84D┐ LRDLower right baby first molar14–18 mo9–11 y
T85E┐ LRELower right baby second molar23–31 mo10–12 y

Printable blank tooth charts

Free blank charts for students, dental offices and home records. Each prints on its own page with lines for a name, date and notes.

Numbers on the printed charts

Adult teeth (32) · Universal numbers

UPPERLOWERPATIENT'S RIGHTLEFT1234567891011121314151632313029282726252423222120191817
NameDateNotes 

Blank adult tooth chart · dentalhealthtime.com/teeth/tooth-number-chart/

Baby teeth (20) · Universal letters

UPPERLOWERPATIENT'S RIGHTLEFTABCDEFGHIJTSRQPONMLK
NameDateNotes 

Blank baby tooth chart · dentalhealthtime.com/teeth/tooth-number-chart/

Three ways to number the same tooth

Dentists use three main systems to name teeth. The same tooth can be "19", "36" or "┌6" depending on who wrote the chart:

SystemWhere you'll see itAdult teethBaby teethExample: lower left first molar
UniversalUS dental offices, insurance claims1–32A–T19
FDI / ISO 3950International charts and research, including WHO surveys11–48 (two digits)51–8536
PalmerSome charts and dental anatomy textbooks1–8 in each quarter, with a bracketA–E in each quarter┌6 (LL6)

The converter above reads all three. Type what's on your chart and it shows the other two codes, the tooth's name, when it usually comes in, and a link to a full page about that tooth.

The Universal system (US)

The Universal system is the one accepted by the American Dental Association, and it is the system used on the ADA dental claim form. Adult teeth are numbered 1 to 32:

  • 1–8: upper right, from the wisdom tooth at the back to the front tooth
  • 9–16: upper left, from the front tooth back to the wisdom tooth
  • 17–24: lower left, from the wisdom tooth forward to the front tooth
  • 25–32: lower right, from the front tooth back to the wisdom tooth

Think of it as one path around the mouth: across the top from your right to your left, then down and back along the bottom. Baby teeth follow the same path with letters: A–J on top and K–T on the bottom.

Wisdom teeth keep their numbers (1, 16, 17 and 32) even if they never grow. That's why someone with no wisdom teeth still has a tooth 2, but no tooth 1.

FDI two-digit notation (international)

The FDI system, standardized as ISO 3950, is described in the World Health Organization's oral health survey manual. Each tooth gets two digits:

  1. The quarter of the mouth. 1 = upper right, 2 = upper left, 3 = lower left, 4 = lower right. Baby teeth use 5, 6, 7 and 8 in the same order.
  2. The position from the middle. 1 = central incisor, out to 8 = third molar (wisdom tooth). Baby teeth go from 1 to 5.

The digits are read separately: WHO notes that tooth 38 is said "three-eight", not "thirty-eight". The ADA lists the ISO system next to the Universal system to help map between them, but it shouldn't be used on the ADA claim form.

Palmer notation

Palmer notation (also called Zsigmondy–Palmer) numbers each quarter on its own, from 1 to 8 for adult teeth and A to E for baby teeth, counting out from the middle. A bracket shows the quarter, drawn as if you were facing the patient:

QuarterAdult exampleBaby exampleTyped as
Upper right6┘E┘UR6, URE
Upper left└6└EUL6, ULE
Lower right6┐E┐LR6, LRE
Lower left┌6┌ELL6, LLE

The two lines of the bracket stand for the middle of the mouth and the biting line between the jaws. Because brackets are hard to type, software and emails usually write UR6, UL6, LR6 and LL6. The converter accepts both, and the bracket buttons under the input add one for you.

Why the same number can mean two different teeth

Many numbers are valid in two systems but point to different teeth. Numbers 11–18, 21–28, 31 and 32 are all real Universal numbers and also real FDI codes:

You seeAs UniversalAs FDI
11Upper left canineUpper right central incisor (Universal 8)
16Upper left wisdom toothUpper right first molar (Universal 3)
24Lower left central incisorUpper left first premolar (Universal 12)
31Lower right second molarLower left central incisor (Universal 24)

Some numbers can only belong to one system. A one-digit number, or 10, 19, 20, 29 or 30, can only be Universal, because FDI codes need two digits and their second digit is always 1 to 8. Any valid code from 33 to 48 can only be FDI, because Universal numbers stop at 32. When you leave the converter on Auto-detect, it shows every match so you can choose the one that fits your chart. If the number is on a US insurance claim or estimate, read it as Universal, the system the ADA claim form uses. The Dental Insurance Calculator can then estimate what your plan pays for that tooth's treatment.

How to read a dental chart

Charts are drawn as if you are facing the patient. The patient's right side is on the left of the chart, and the upper teeth are on the top row. So tooth 1 sits at the top left, tooth 16 at the top right, tooth 17 at the bottom right and tooth 32 at the bottom left.

When you check your own teeth in a mirror, it's the other way around: your right side shows on the right of your reflection.

Adult and baby teeth at a glance

  • 32 adult teeth: 8 incisors, 4 canines, 8 premolars and 12 molars, including the 4 wisdom teeth.
  • 20 baby teeth: 8 incisors, 4 canines and 8 molars. There are no premolars or wisdom teeth among baby teeth.
  • The adult premolars replace the baby molars, and the adult molars come in behind the baby teeth without replacing any.

The Tooth Eruption Chart shows which of these teeth are usually in at any age.

How this tool works

  1. It tidies what you type: it ignores words like "tooth" and "#", turns "upper right 6" or "ur-6" into UR6, and accepts bracket look-alikes such as ⌋ and ⌊.
  2. It checks your input against all 52 teeth in each system. The tooth list and the ages come from the ADA eruption charts and standard dental anatomy (see Sources).
  3. On Auto-detect, every system where your input is a real tooth is shown. If you pick a system, only that one is used, and you'll see a note if your input only works in a different system.
  4. Typing a name, like "lower left canine" or "upper wisdom tooth", finds teeth by name.

It covers the 32 adult and 20 baby teeth. Extra (supernumerary) teeth have their own codes on some claim forms, and sources differ on those, so the converter leaves them out.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Universal and FDI tooth numbers?
The Universal system, accepted by the ADA and used in the US, numbers adult teeth 1 to 32 around the mouth. The FDI system (ISO 3950), used internationally, gives each tooth two digits: the quarter of the mouth, then the position from the middle. Tooth 19 (Universal) is tooth 36 (FDI).
Which tooth is number 1?
In the Universal system, tooth 1 is the upper right wisdom tooth (third molar). In FDI it is 18, and in Palmer it is 8┘ (UR8). See tooth 1.
Why does my X-ray or report say tooth 36 or 46?
Numbers above 32 can only be FDI codes. FDI 36 is the lower left first molar (Universal 19) and FDI 46 is the lower right first molar (Universal 30). Reports from outside the US and some software use FDI.
How are baby teeth numbered?
In the Universal system, the 20 baby teeth are lettered A to T, starting at the upper right back molar. FDI uses 51–55, 61–65, 71–75 and 81–85. Palmer uses A to E in each quarter, counting from the middle.
Which side is right on a dental chart?
Dental charts are drawn as if you are facing the patient, so the patient's right side is on the left of the chart. That's why tooth 1 appears at the top left.

Sources

  1. American Dental Association. ADA Dental Claim Form (tooth designation systems). Accessed October 26, 2026.
  2. World Health Organization. Oral health surveys: basic methods, 5th edition (tooth notation after ISO 3950). 2013. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  3. Nelson SJ. Elsevier. Wheeler's Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion, 11th edition. 2019.
  4. American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Permanent Tooth Development (eruption chart). 2012. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  5. American Dental Association (MouthHealthy). Primary Tooth Development (eruption chart). 2012. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  6. Dentalcare.com (continuing education course CE500). An Overview of Dental Anatomy: Permanent Dentition. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  7. Dentalcare.com (continuing education course CE500). An Overview of Dental Anatomy: Primary Dentition. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  8. Cleveland Clinic. Teeth: Anatomy, Types, Function & Care. last updated January 26, 2023. Accessed October 26, 2026.
  9. Dentalcare.com (continuing education course CE500). An Overview of Dental Anatomy: Types of Teeth and their Functions. Accessed October 26, 2026.

Last reviewed by the Dental Health Time editorial team, against the sources above. How we review.

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