Sir,- I read with disbelief the notice 'A change in recording tooth notation' that was printed in BDJ 2003; 194: 387 Why all the mental gymnastics with the Palmer tooth notation? This method was thrown out about two decades ago in the US when computers came of age. We now use the designation # 1–32 for permanent teeth and A-T for deciduous teeth in all communications among dentists, insurance companies, government agencies, etc. It eliminates any possibility of confusion when referring to a particular tooth and is so much simpler with less risk of mistakes. For the examples given in the Journal notice, UR7(17) becomes #2 and LL5(35) becomes #20 This 'tradition' is not an asset. Come join us in the 21st Century.