Dentist

Synonyms / Other Terms Used

Dentistry, Dental Clinic, Dental Department, Dental Care, Dental and Maxillary Medicine

Category

Public Services, Public Facilities, Health Care

Message / Function

To indicate the location of a clinical facility for the treatment of teeth and gums

	Source	Description
	AS 2899.3	Side view of human figure on dentist's chair, second human figure behind, molar tooth in corner at top
	O'72	Side view of two human figures, one in outline, the other on invisible dentist's chair, cross in corner at top
	Aicher & Krampen	Side view of upper parts of two human figures, one in outline, the other tilted, cross in corner at top
	Kapitzki	Side view of upper parts of two human figures, one in outline, the other tilted, cross in corner at top
	Rajlich	Side view of patient on dentist's chair, dentist in outline, hand close to head of patient
80	Hablamos Juntos	Side view of human figure on dentist's chair or examination table, molar tooth inside circle above
	D'source	Side view of head with mouth wide open, mouth mirror near teeth
	ISO 7001	Side view of a molar tooth, cross in the upper right corner
80	Hablamos Juntos	Side view of a molar tooth, two hands below
75	Hablamos Juntos	Side view of a molar tooth and gums
90	Hablamos Juntos	Side view of a molar tooth, sickle probe above
	NYCHHC	Side view of a molar tooth
	Hora	Side view of a molar tooth in outline
98	Hablamos Juntos	Side view of a molar tooth
	Aku-Johnson	Side view of a molar tooth
	Picto'grafics	Side view of a stylized molar tooth
	ULOU	Side view of a molar tooth in outline
	Dreyfuss	Side view of a molar tooth in outline
	Hablamos Juntos	Plan view of mouth mirror, sickle probe, and tooth brush
	Hamel Khaled	Plan view of mouth mirror and sickle probe, diagonally arranged

Discussion

The selection of pictograms shown in the table above indicates that no single visual stereotype exists to indicate the location of a clinical facility for the treatment of teeth and gums.

Test data found in our database does not cover all image contents in use:

Hablamos Juntos in partnership with SEGD (the Society for Environmental Graphic Design) developed several test designs to signify dental department resp. dental care, or dental and maxillary medicine, of which five pictograms were subjected to a test on basis of the Comprehensibility Estimation procedure (Fontaine et al., 2010). A simple side view of a molar tooth was rated best with a median score of 98, followed by a side view of a molar tooth with a sickle probe above with a score of 90. The other pictograms tested were also judged as well comprehensible with scores between 80 and 75. The numbers next to the pictograms in the table above are the median estimation scores reported for the corresponding pictograms in this study.

In a follow up project the pictogram rated best was examined by Zender & Cassedy (2014) using the ISO/ANSI Open-ended Comprehension Test to find out if this variant is understood just as well in a different culture, and if not, why it does not work. Test results from the United States and Tanzania reveal that this pictogram basically might work well, as 100 % of the responses from the American sample could be classified as correct. But in the Tanzanian sample it became evident that this variant failed there due to lack of domain knowledge: while 95 % of the respondents with advanced medical literacy answered correctly, only 45 % of the typical local patients could guess what this symbol stands for. This example illustrates the importance of collecting additional information besides the meaning of a graphical symbol, when conducting a Comprehension Test.

Recommendations

As some of the basic concepts were not examined in the studies available, we suggest comparing the pictogram recommended in the Hablamos Juntos set Universal Symbols in Health Care with other image contents, as for example provided in ISO 7001 or in the corresponding designs of Otl Aicher, on basis of a Comprehension Test, including sufficient context information and data about medical literacy, so a clear decision concerning a specific recommendation can be reached.

Until then we can recommend using public information symbol PI PF 043 of ISO 7001 shown below, or a similar graphical symbol.

The cross used to indicate medical care may be substituted with another symbol appropriate to the culture of the region intended.

Tests of pictograms of referent Dentist

Fontaine, L., Fernández, O., & Middleton, D. (2010): Universal Symbols in Health Care - Symbol Design Research Report. SEGD.

Zender, M., & Cassedy, A.E. (2014): (Mis)understanding: Icon Comprehension in Different Cultural Contexts. Visible Language, 48, 69.