ISO 21611:2026

• Abstract:

  This document defines the terms for the forensic reporting on human identification by dental evidence.

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 12-Nov-2026
• ICS: 01.040.11 - Health care technology (Vocabularies)
• ICS: 11.060.01 - Dentistry in general
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 106/SC 3 - Terminology
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 106/SC 3 - Terminology
• Current Stage: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 13-Nov-2026
• Completion Date: 13-Nov-2026

• Consolidates: prEN ISO 21611 - Dentistry - Vocabulary for Source Conclusion for Human Identification by Dental Evidence (ISO/DIS 21611:2025)
• Effective Date: 12-Feb-2026
• Consolidates: ISO 8549-4:2020 - Prosthetics and orthotics — Vocabulary — Part 4: Terms relating to limb amputation
• Effective Date: 07-Jan-2025

ISO 21611 is an ISO vocabulary standard for forensic reporting on human identification by dental evidence. It gives the terms used to express source conclusions in forensic odontology, so people preparing or reading dental identification reports can use the same language. The standard is aimed at forensic reporting, where clear wording matters because conclusions may be read by laboratories, investigators, and legal authorities.

What does ISO 21611 specify?

ISO 21611 specifies the terms and definitions used for human identification by dental evidence. Its scope is limited to forensic reporting, and the document is organized as a short terminology standard with Clause 1 Scope, Clause 2 Normative references, and Clause 3 Terms and definitions, followed by an index.

Clause 3 is split into general terms and terms related to the qualitative expression of source conclusion. That structure matters in practice because it separates the basic evidence language from the words used to state the final comparison result.

What are the key requirements of ISO 21611?

ISO 21611 is a vocabulary document, so its main requirement is to use the defined terms consistently when reporting dental comparisons. The practical value is not a test method, but a shared set of conclusions that can be understood across forensic settings.

• Source is the comprehensive collection of an individual’s dental data used for identification. In practice, this is the set of records or observations being compared.
• Concordant feature and concordant characteristic describe matching or distinctive dental traits that can support identification. The document notes that no specific minimum number of concordant points is required to conclude identification established, which means the decision depends on the overall qualitative comparison, not a fixed count.
• Unique concordant characteristic refers to distinctive or unusual features seen in two sources that are highly unlikely to appear elsewhere. This helps a reporter explain why a comparison supports the same source.
• Concordant tooth is a tooth or its representation that matches another representation and has no unexplained discrepancies. In practice, this is the basic comparison unit for dental evidence.
• Contextual evidence is information from the setting of an event or object that helps support a source conclusion. This matters because dental findings are often interpreted together with other case information.
• Explainable discrepancy and unexplainable discrepancy separate differences that can be reasonably justified from those that cannot. This distinction is central to deciding whether a match is acceptable or whether exclusion is warranted.
• The conclusion terms are lack of evidentiary quality for comparison, identification established, identity not excluded, inconclusive, and identity excluded. These give the reporter a controlled way to state whether comparison was possible, supportive, uncertain, or contradictory.
• ISO 21611 also gives US-equivalent wording such as positive identification (US), possible identification (US), and exclusion (US). That helps users map the terminology to different reporting traditions without changing the underlying meaning.

What terms does ISO 21611 define?

• Source - the dental data set used as the basis for identification.
• Concordant feature - a unique oro-dental feature that can help establish identity.
• Unique concordant characteristic - a distinctive feature shared by two sources that is unlikely to occur elsewhere.
• Concordant tooth - a tooth or tooth representation that matches another and has no unexplained discrepancy.
• Contextual evidence - background information from the event or object that helps support a source conclusion.
• Explainable discrepancy - a difference that can be justified by known causes.
• Unexplainable discrepancy - a difference that cannot be justified between the two sources.
• Identification established - a positive conclusion based on no unexplainable discrepancies and strong concordance.

Who uses ISO 21611?

ISO 21611 is used by forensic odontologists, forensic reporting teams, and other professionals who compare dental evidence for human identification. It is also relevant to legal authorities and reviewers who need to understand the wording of a dental source conclusion. The standard supports consistent reporting in forensic odontology and related medico-legal work.

What does the ISO 21611 document contain?

ISO 21611 is a terminology document rather than a procedural or test standard. Its content is centered on Clause 3, which defines the key words used in source conclusion reporting for dental evidence.

The document includes a short set of general terms, a second group of terms for qualitative source conclusions, and an index that lists the defined terms. The notes attached to some entries explain how the conclusions should be understood in practice, especially where a qualitative judgment is involved.

International
Standard
ISO 21611
First edition
Dentistry — Vocabulary for source
2026-11
conclusion for human identification
by dental evidence
Médecine bucco-dentaire — Vocabulaire relatif aux conclusions
tirées de sources pour l'identification des personnes à l'aide de
preuves dentaires
Reference number
© ISO 2026
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ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 General terms .1
3.2 Terms related to qualitative expression of source conclusion in human identification
by dental evidence .2
Index . 3

iii
Foreword
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iv
Introduction
Forensic odontology holds an indis
...

Norme
internationale
ISO 21611
Première édition
Médecine bucco-dentaire —
2026-11
Vocabulaire relatif aux
conclusions tirées de sources pour
l'identification des personnes à
l'aide de preuves dentaires
Dentistry — Vocabulary for source conclusion for human
identification by dental evidence
Numéro de référence
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ii
Sommaire Page
Avant-propos .iv
Introduction .v
1 Domaine d'application . 1
2 Références normatives . 1
3 Termes et définitions . 1
3.1 Termes généraux .1
3.2 Termes liés à l’expression qualitative d’une conclusion tirée d'une source dans
l'identification des personnes à l'aide de preuves dentaires .2
Index . 4

iii
Avant-propos
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iv
Introduction
L'odontologie médico-légale joue un rôle indispensable dans l'identification des personnes. Les données
dentaires constituent l'un des principaux éléments d'identification et revêtent donc une importance capitale
dans le processus d'identification des personne
...