Canadian delegates and partners in New Orleans. (L. to r.) Dr. Tao Wang, Dr. Laura Tam, Igor Minic, Dr. Mark Filiaggi, Dr. Kathy Russell, Dunja Schelper, Dr. Benoit Soucy, Katie Lee and Dr. Lex MacNeil. Want to get involved? Standards are developed by the people who need them.That could mean you! The best starting point is to become involved as a member of one of the Canadian Mirror Committees to ISO/TC 106, managed by the SCC. For more information visit: bit.ly/4iZJ4Wj subcommittee is something that we’re really suited for. CDA provides resources for it because, as an organization, it recognizes the importance for information sharing of having standard terms, codes and abbreviations,” says Dr. Soucy. An example of the work done by the terminology subcommittee of ISO/TC 106/SC 3 is the standard for the designation of teeth. The most widely used system for that purpose, which is used in Canada, is the two-digit notation originally devised by the FDI World Dental Federation. When FDI stopped actively maintaining that tooth designation system, dentists started using it in nonstandard fashions, thereby creating issues for the exchange of information. To address the problem, the terminology subcommittee of ISO/TC 106 decided to rewrite ISO 3950, a little-used ISO standard for the designation of teeth to make it into a suitable replacement for the FDI two-digit notation. Early in that work, a new designation system using three-digit notations to allow for the designation of additional structures, such as supernumerary teeth or implants, was considered. “But that would have cost a fortune,” says Dr. Soucy. “That change would have also meant redoing all the forms, rewriting the software and retraining everyone.” In the end, the subcommittee elected to publish an expanded version of the FDI system called ISO 3950:2016 Dentistry — Designation system for teeth and areas of the oral cavity. In addition, the group created a designation system for supernumerary teeth as a separate standard, ISO 10394, that can be implemented voluntarily. One of Dr. Soucy’s tasks is to lead the consideration of a new subcommittee that will work on standards for forensic odontology, the identification of people through dental features. “Nobody questions the need for additional forensic odontology resources but before creating this new sub-committee, it is important to ensure that there is a fit with the scope of ISO/TC 106, that it does not duplicate work by existing standards bodies such as ISO 272 forensic sciences and that it meets a need among the forensic science community,” he says. In 2021, ISO formalized its commitment to climate action with a resolution called the London Declaration, which sets an agenda to bring together ISO standards with global sustainability and climate goals. For ISO/TC 106, this means ensuring that all new and revised standards support a sustainable, resilient future. “Besides being the chair of ISO/TC 106, I am the convenor of the ISO/TC 106 working group that is looking at how to increase the sustainability of dentistry without overburdening manufacturers,” says Dr. Soucy. “This is a significant challenge because the climate impact of dentistry is not well studied, but I see this as a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the issue.” “The term for chair is three years,” he says. “I don’t know how much I will accomplish in that time, but I am extremely proud to be given the opportunity to continue the work of my predecessors as chair of ISO/TC 106.” 19 Issue 2 | 2025 | News and Events
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