title: Automatic identification of dental appliances.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a reliable, machine-readable coding system for dental appliances.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incorporation of two-dimensional bar codes and matrix codes into a range of dental appliances using printed thermal substrates and laser-etched ceramic discs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Problems including reaction of thermal substrates with methyl methacrylate monomer, loss of code clarity, limited areas available for bar codes, difficulty in scanning opaque pigmented acrylic resin and palatal and lingual surfaces were overcome using 4 mm2 data matrix codes etched onto ceramic discs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reliable automatic identification of dental appliances was achieved using laser-etched matrix codes. Further development is necessary in relation to optimisation of code size, encryption, scanners and maintenance of code readability over time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, University of Wales College of Medicine, Dental School, Heath Park, Cardiff.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Milward
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Brickley
mesh_terms: D003748:Dental Equipment; D003821:Denture Identification Marking / Q000379:methods*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D001330:Electronic Data Processing / Q000379:methods; D007834:Lasers; D008331:Management Information Systems