An imaging standard for dentistry. Extension of the radiology DICOM standard.

No standard exists for electronic communication of dental images. However, maxillofacial radiology, being part of general radiology, does have the advantage of having an applicable standard: The American College of Radiology-National Electrical Manufacturers Association Standard for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (Version 3.0). This standard encourages open systems interconnection of imaging equipment over standard networks while maintaining compatibility with earlier point-to-point connection standards. This standard, to be voted on in 1993, moves the American College of Radiology-National Electrical Manufacturers Association into full conformance with the International Standards Organization reference model for network communications. An object-oriented information model lays the groundwork for harmonization with other medical communications standards. This article outlines the American College of Radiology-National Electrical Manufacturers Association components and discusses the rationale of object-oriented design. The relevance of the standard to dentistry is discussed.