ISO 21671:2006/Amd 1:2011

Overview

ISO 21671:2006/Amd 1:2011 is an amendment to the international standard for dentistry rotary polishers, originally published in 2006 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This amendment, released in 2011, updates and enhances specifications related to the marking and classification of diamond abrasive grains used in rotary polishers in dental applications. It ensures consistency and clarity in the identification of polishing instruments, improving their safety, effectiveness, and interoperability worldwide.

This standard falls under the scope of dental rotary instruments, specifically focusing on the abrasive grain size designation and color-coding of diamond rotary polishers. It is developed by ISO technical committee ISO/TC 106, subcommittee SC 4, which specializes in dental instruments.

Key Topics

• Diamond abrasive grain size classification: The amendment introduces a detailed color code system for marking diamond abrasives according to grain size as per ISO 7711-3. This facilitates easy identification of abrasive grain grades during manufacturing and clinical use.

• Color coding for grain sizes:

  • Ultra-fine (UF) - White
  • Extra-fine (EF) - Yellow
  • Fine (F) - Red
  • Medium (M) - Blue
  • Coarse (C) - Green
  • Very coarse (VC) - Black

• Grain size specifications: The standard provides explicit grain size ranges in micrometers (µm) and correlates them with abbreviations commonly used for diamond and other abrasives (e.g., corundum, carbide), aiding manufacturers and users in selecting the appropriate rotary polisher abrasives based on clinical needs.

• Updated tables and references: Includes replacement of Table 1 with the updated color code chart for grain sizes and addition of Table 2 detailing grain sizes for polisher instruments. Also, references to related abrasive standards such as ISO 6106 and ISO 8486 series were added to the bibliography for comprehensive industry alignment.

Applications

• Dental instrument manufacturing: Enables manufacturers to standardize abrasive grain grading and marking on rotary polishers, ensuring product quality, safety, and global market acceptance.

• Clinical dentistry: Assists dental professionals in identifying the correct rotary polishers for specific polishing tasks based on grain size, optimizing patient outcomes and instrument performance.

• Quality control and compliance: Dental laboratories and suppliers benefit from clear guidelines to verify abrasive grain sizes and color coding, facilitating regulatory compliance and reducing errors in instrument selection.

• Training and education: Dental training programs incorporate these standards to educate dental practitioners and technicians on the significance of abrasive grain sizes and proper instrument usage.

Related Standards

• ISO 7711-3: Dentistry - Rotary instruments with diamond abrasives - Part 3: Grain size, designation, and color code. This is the primary reference integrated into ISO 21671 amendment for abrasive grain definitions.

• ISO 6106: Products abrasive - Verification of superabrasive grain size - critical for ensuring abrasive particle dimensions meet specified tolerances.

• ISO 8486-1 and ISO 8486-2: Abrasives - Determination and designation of grain size distribution for macrograins (F4 to F220) and micrograins (F230 to F2000), providing extensive guidelines complementary to the rotary polisher abrasive sizing.

By adhering to ISO 21671:2006/Amd 1:2011, dental professionals, manufacturers, and regulators can achieve standardized, accurate identification of rotary polishing instruments, enhancing the quality and safety of dental care worldwide. This amendment plays a vital role in the uniform application of international standards for dental abrasive tools.