ISO/PRF 21611

• Abstract:

  This document is intended for forensic reporting on human identification by dental evidence.

• Status: Not Published
• 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: 5020 - FDIS ballot initiated: 2 months. Proof sent to secretariat
• Start Date: 15-Sep-2026
• Completion Date: 19-Sep-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

Overview

ISO/PRF 21611: Dentistry - Vocabulary for Source Conclusion for Human Identification by Dental Evidence is a forthcoming international standard developed by ISO’s Technical Committee 106, Subcommittee 3 (ISO/TC 106/SC 3). This standard establishes consistent and precise terminology for forensic reporting in the field of human identification using dental evidence. Forensic odontology is a vital branch of forensic science, and dental data is frequently used for identifying individuals in various scenarios-including legal investigations, disaster response, and missing persons cases. ISO/PRF 21611 provides a standardized vocabulary and framework to ensure transparent, reliable, and comparable reporting across different jurisdictions and forensic teams.

Key Topics

ISO/PRF 21611 introduces and defines key terms used in the qualitative expression of source conclusions in forensic dentistry. Major vocabulary areas include:

• Source: The comprehensive dental data collected from an individual for identification purposes.
• Concordant Feature: Any unique oro-dental characteristic that supports identification.
• Unique Concordant Characteristic: Rare or distinctive dental traits, unlikely to appear in others.
• Concordant Tooth: A tooth displaying matching features between compared dental records, absent unexplainable discrepancies.
• Contextual Evidence: Additional case context to support or clarify forensic dental conclusions.
• Explainable Discrepancy: Differences in dental evidence justified by known factors such as dental work or image distortion.
• Unexplainable Discrepancy: Differences not readily accounted for, potentially indicating non-identity.

The standard also details various possible conclusions following dental comparison:

• Identification Established: Sufficient agreement exists, with no unexplained discrepancies.
• Identity Not Excluded: No unexplained discrepancies, but evidence is not distinctive enough for certain identification.
  • Identity Probable: Contextual evidence narrows identity but is not conclusive.
  • Identity Possible: Characteristics match, but not enough to rule out other sources.
• Inconclusive: No definitive determination possible due to lack of unique concordant features.
• Identity Excluded: Evidence reveals unexplainable discrepancies indicating the sources are not from the same individual.
• Lack of Evidentiary Quality for Comparison: Dental data is insufficient in quality or quantity for analysis.

Applications

The practical value of ISO/PRF 21611 lies in its role as a universal language for forensic odontologists, forensic pathologists, and legal authorities who rely on dental evidence for human identification. Its applications include:

• Forensic Casework: Standardized vocabulary improves clarity and interoperability in official reports and testimony.
• Disaster Victim Identification (DVI): Enables coordination across international teams, ensuring findings are clearly understood and comparable.
• Legal and Judicial Proceedings: Consistent terminology helps courts interpret dental evidence accurately.
• Training and Education: Facilitates the education of forensic professionals and enhances cross-jurisdiction communication.
• Research: Supports consistent reporting and data sharing in forensic odontology studies.

By unifying the terminology for source conclusion and identification certainty, the standard enhances the reliability and legal defensibility of forensic dental reporting worldwide.

Related Standards

Professionals referring to ISO/PRF 21611 may also benefit from consulting these related standards and resources:

• ISO Online Browsing Platform: (https://www.iso.org/obp) provides access to ISO standards and terminology.
• IEC Electropedia: (https://www.electropedia.org) covers electrotechnical vocabulary relevant to identification technologies.
• Other ISO/TC 106 (Dentistry) Standards: Cover materials, devices, and laboratory procedures in dentistry.
• Disaster Victim Identification Guidelines: Such as INTERPOL’s DVI protocols, which include dental identification processes.
• Legal and Forensic Terminology Standards: National or regional standards for forensic science and reporting.

ISO/PRF 21611 forms a cornerstone in the alignment and professionalization of forensic odontology vocabulary, directly supporting reliable human identification by dental evidence.

International
Standard
ISO 21611
First edition
Dentistry — Vocabulary for source
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
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
Reference number
ISO 21611:2026(en) © ISO 2026
ISO 21611:2026(en)
© ISO 2026
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
ii
ISO 21611:2026(en)
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
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
iii
ISO 21611:2026(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a)
patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
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Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
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related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 106, Dentistry, Subcommittee SC 3,
Terminology, in collaboration with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee
CEN/TC 55, Dentistry, in accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN
(Vienna Agreement).
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
PROOF/ÉPREUVE
iv
ISO 21611:2026(en)
Introduction
Forensic odontology holds an indispensable role in the identification of human individuals. Dental data
serves as one of the primary identifiers and therefore assumes a position of
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All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication
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may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
Formatted: Top: 1.4 cm, Bottom: 1 cm, Header distance
or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO
from edge: 1.27 cm, Footer distance from edge: 0.5 cm
at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: + 41 22 749 01 11
Formatted: French (Switzerland)
EmailE-mail: [e-mail]
Formatted: French (Switzerland)
Website: www.iso.orgwww.iso.org
Formatted: French (Switzerland)
Published in Switzerland
Formatted: English (United Kingdom)
Formatted: English (United Kingdom)

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ii © ISO #### 2026 – All rights reserved
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ISO/DISPRF 21611:20252026(en) Formatted: Font: 11 pt, Bold, Font color: Auto
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Contents
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Foreword . iv
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between Latin and Asian text, Adjust space between
Introduction . v
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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 4
Foreword . iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 source . 1
3.2 concordant feature . 1
3.3 unique concordant characteristic . 1
3.4 concordant characteristic . 1
3.5 concordant tooth . 1
3.6 contextual evidence . 1
3.7 explainable discrepancy . 1
3.8 unexplainable discrepancy . 2
3.9 Qualitative expression of source conclusion in human identification by dental . 2
evidence . 2
3.9.1 lack of evidentiary quality for comparison . 2
3.9.2 identification established . 2
3.9.3 identity not excluded . 2
3.9.4 inconclusive . 2
3.9.5 identity excluded . 3

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iii
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Foreword
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ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types of
ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Formatted: English (United Kingdom)
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent rights
in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO had not received notice of (a) patent(s)
which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that this may not
represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents.www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held
...