SEMINAR-10

COLOR
AND ITS
DIMENSIONS

Presented By-
Dr. Saksham Narainia
nd
2 Year Postgraduate Student

Department Of Conservative Dentistry And Endodontics

M.R. Ambedkar Dental College And Hospital, Banagalore
 CONTENTS

• INTRODUCTION
• COLOR TRIAD
• DIMENSIONS OF COLOR
• MUNSELL COLOR ORDER SYSTEM
• CIELAB COLOR SYSTEM
• PIGMENT COLOR
• METAMERISM
• MEASUREMENT OF COLOR
• VISUAL TECHNIQUE
• INSTRUMENTAL TECHNIQUE
• SHADE TAKING DEVICES
• SHADE MATCHING PROCEDURE
• PROBLEMS DURING SHADE MATCHING
• ARTICLE REVIEW
• CONCLUSION
 INTRODUCTION
• Ever thought of the world without the color? Color can turn everything,
even the unsightly, into a visual pleasure.
• Properly used, color creates atmosphere, defines space and proportion,
establishes order and exudes emotion.
• To perceive all these one has to have the so-called color sense; i.e., the
ability to make the right color choice.
• The first step to achieving clinical success in cosmetic dentistry will be to
correctly identify the tooth color we need to imitate and material that most
closely matches and to communicate this information to the laboratory if
the restoration is to be fabricated out there.
• The color of the tooth is determined by the combined effects of intrinsic and
extrinsic colorations
• Intrinsic tooth color is associated with the light scattering and absorption
properties of the enamel and dentine
 • Extrinsic color is associated with the absorption of materials
(e.g., tea, red wine, chlorhexidine, iron salts) onto the surface
of enamel and in particular the pellicle coating and which
ultimately cause extrinsic stain.

COLOR TRIAD

• The primary prerequisites for color perception include three variable

elements: The object, a light source for illumination and an observer.

LIGHT
• The light source plays a major role in the chromatic procedures.
• The same object when viewed from different sources may have different
colors for each of the sources
• Therefore, it becomes extremely necessary for the dentist and the
laboratory team use proper lighting.
• Light is a form of electromagnetic energy, distinct from radio
waves or microwaves by the wavelength.
• Although the human eye is constantly exposed to all
wavelengths of the electromagnetic field, only a small range
between 380 nm and 700 nm, called the visible spectrum, is
able to stimulate photosensitive retinal cells, triggering the
process of color perception

• Sunlight, also called natural light or white light, contains all the
colors of the visible spectrum as evidenced by Isaac Newton
(1730), when dissociated a beam of white light into seven
colors by a prism interception.
• This luminous quality plays a key role in the science of colors
and for this reason should be considered the first choice in
chromatic procedures.
• The time of the day, month and weather conditions affect the
color of sunlight.
• If the light source changes, then the light reflected from an
object changes too; in that case, a different color is perceived.
• The absence of ideal conditions has led to the use of artificial
lighting for color matching.
• According to the international commission of illuminating
(CIE, Commission Internationale de L’eclairage) there are
several light sources and each one has its color temperature
characteristic described in Kelvin degrees (K)
• However, illuminants with a temperature of 2856 K (standard
A) and with a temperature of 6500 K (standard D), are the most
commonly found in supermarkets and specialized stores, and
can be considered basic sources.
• The illuminants "standard A" presents yellow chromatic trend
that resembles a candle flame and for this reason are called
incandescent.
• Because the sum of the wavelengths of the light spectrum
represents its color temperature, they exhibit low spectral
amplitude and should not be used alone in chromatic
procedure.
• However, the illuminant ―standard D‖ presents a bluish
chromatic trend, higher spectral amplitude and ultraviolet (UV)
wavelength included, being called fluorescent. Indeed, the light
spectrum emitted by them closely resembles natural daylight
and, therefore, should be considered the first option when you
can’t use it
• Color-corrected fluorescent lights are also available, which
render the color more accurately.
• Full-spectrum light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are now replacing
incandescent bulbs.

• Since being established spectral quality, other major factor

related to the light source is the intensity that the energy
reaches our eyes.
• Likewise a high luminous intensity obliterates details for
correct chromatic evaluation, insufficient intensity hinders its
discernment.
• The ideal intensity can be measured with the aid of light meter
and must remain near to 100 candles.
• Such intensity is responsible for promoting an proper aperture
of the pupilar diameter, a crucial factor in the selection and
accurate color reproduction and usually equates to a unit with
four fluorescent lamps of 220 watts disposed 2 meters away
from the operative field
• The dental operatory is not free from conflicts in lighting.
• Light coming in through a window mixes with the fluorescent light
coming from the hallway and the color-corrected lighting in the dental
operatory.
• Amid these various lighting conflicts, it is the task of the clinician to
analyze the opposing teeth and to determine an accurate shade match.
• The following tips will aid in that process:
• If the clinician or the lab technician has access to a natural light source, it
is best to perform shade matching at 10 am or 2 pm on a clear, bright day
when the ideal color temperature of 6,500 K or 5,500 K is present.
• Color-corrected lighting tubes that burn at about 6,500 K or 5,500 K
(standard D) should be installed when only artificial lighting is available
• A color temperature meter should be used periodically to verify that the
recommended color temperature is achieved in the shade-matching area
• Dust and dirt should be cleaned routinely from lighting tubes and
diffusers because the presence of dust may alter the quantity and quality
of emitted light.

OBJECT
• Color is a physical property of the light that is modified by the object
and the total appearance of the material depends on the object’s
capacity to modify the color of the incident light.
• The nature of the restorative material under view, determines how that
material will appear.
• Color appears because the material absorbs the radiating visible light,
with the exception of the wavelength reflected to the viewer’s eyes.
• Light interacts with an object through : reflection ,absorption
,refraction or transmission.
• These phenomena determine the opacity, translucency or transparency
of an object
• Opaque materials do not transmit, but reflect and absorb various
wavelengths of visible light.
• Translucent object scatter, transmit and absorb portions of
wavelengths of visible light
• Transparent materials absorb no light and transmit 100% of light that
passes through them.
 • Light reflected from rough surface scatters in many directions because it
is reflected at many angles by the un even surface.
• This leads to an appearance that ranges from mirror like for a perfectly
smooth surface (specular reflectance) to flat,dull appearance(diffuse
reflectance) as chalk.

OBSERVER
• Visible light enters the eye through the transparent area of the cornea and is
focused by the crystalline lens on the retina.
• The retina is composed of two types of specialized photosensitive cells and
is the receptor system for vision.
• These specialized receptor cells are called rods and cones and they contain
photosensitive pigments
• Light from an object that is incident on the eye is focused in the retina
(cone shaped cells which are sensitive to red, blue and green )and converted
to nerve impulses that are transmitted to the brain.
• Constant stimulation by a single color may result in color fatigue and
decrease in eye’s response.
• Not all observers have normal colour vision; there are several
types of colour vision impairment which affect some 8% of the
population, mostly males.
• Tests are available to determine the nature of the colour
deviancy

DIMENSIONS OF COLOR
• Although we can visually distinguish many different colours, it
is impossible to define verbally, each of the 3–5 million unique
colours that we can perceive.
• A quantitative method of describing colours is therefore
needed.
• This is colorimetry, or how we can measure, or specify
numerically, the sensation of colour perceived by an observer
when viewing an object under a particular illuminant.
• In turn, this requires a means of measuring instrumentally, the
colour of an object.
 MUNSELL COLOR ORDER SYSTEM
• Albert Henry Munsell, while teaching color composition and artistic
anatomy, felt a need to describe the colors of his sketches in definite terms
to his students.
• This led to the development of the Munsell Color System in the
early 1900s, which remains a widely used visual color order system based
on three dimensions of color.
• These three dimensions were defined as hue, value, and chroma.
• It is possible to vary each of these qualities without disturbing the other.
• The ability to understand each of these dimensions and separate them
from one another is fundamental to an understanding of color as it relates to
dental ceramics
• Hue : The dominant color of an object. (red, green, blue).
• Value (gray scale) : value increases towards the high end (lighter) and
decreases towards the low end (darker).
• Chroma: degree of saturation of a particular hue.
 HUE

• Hue is the quality that distinguishes one family of color from another.
• It is specified as the dominant range of wavelengths in the visible spectrum
that yields the perceived color, even though the exact wavelength of the
perceived color may not be present.
• There are ten hue families in the Munsell
Color Order System and they are designated by the
following upper-case letters:
• R for red
• YR for yellow-red
• Y for yellow
• GY for green-yellow
• G for green
• BG for blue-green
• B for blue
• PB for purple-blue
• P for purple
• RP for red-purple
 VALUE
• Value is defined as the relative lightness or darkness of a color or the
brightness of the object.
• The brightness of any object is a direct consequence of the amount of light
energy the object reflects or transmits.
• Munsell described the value as a white-to-black gray scale.
• Bright objects have lower amounts of gray and low-value objects have
larger amounts of gray and will appear darker
• In other words, this is a colorless distinction.
• The possible range of values used in describing the lightness or darkness of
a surface in the Munsell Color System extends from zero to ten.
• Black is zero and white is ten with a range of grays between.
• To compare the color match between a restoration and tooth, value is
generally considered the most challenging of the three dimensions of color.
• One reason is that value differences are readily detected, even by an
untrained eye, and restorations with improper value are frequently
described by patients as being too dark or too white.
• In addition, value differences are more easily detected both close-up and at
a distance, whereas differences in hue and chroma become less noticeable
as the viewing distance increases.

CHROMA
• Chroma is defined as the saturation, intensity or strength of hue.
• Envision placing red food dye into a glass of water.
• Each time more of the same color dye is added, the intensity increases,
but it is the same red color (hue).
• As more dye is added, the mixture also appears darker, so the increase
in chroma has a corresponding change in value. As chroma is
increased, the value is decreased; chroma and value are inversely
related.
• The chroma scale starts from zero or achromatic, with increasing
numeric values indicating stronger colors.
• In terms of chroma, color is defined by Munsell as weak,
moderate, and strong.
• A strong chroma would be in the range of seven to ten.
• There are standards for very strong chromas above ten.
• Different chromas of a particular color are arranged from those of
least purity or intensity on the left to those of greatest purity on the
right.
 CIELAB COLOR SYSTEM

• In 1976, The Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE), an

international color research group founded in 1931, published the
CIELAB color system.
• In this 3-dimensional color system,
• L* refers to brightness (0 to 100),
• a* represents red (+a*) vs. Green (-a*)
• b* indicates yellow (+b*) vs. Blue (-b*).
• When a* and b* are zero, the L value represents the continuum of black to
white
 • Throughout the years, CIELAB models have become some the most broadly
used frameworks to measure color.
• CIELAB is often used to measure changes in color, including changes in
tooth color from use of whitening products.
• Color difference equations are used to quantify the color change.
• ΔL*, the change in brightness, is calculated as L*2-*L1 where L*1
represents the initial L* value and L*2 is the end of treatment measure.
• The change in a*and b* is calculated similarly.
• ΔE* represents overall color change. ΔE* is defined as (ΔL*2
+Δb*2 +Δa*2 )1/2

PIGMENT COLOR
• Pigment colors are inherent hues of an object.
• Because these colors are perceived through either transmission or reflection
of light, they are same as the subtractive color used in color reproduction
for reflective and transmissive media.
• In dentistry it is necessary to understand pigment colors as they are inherent
in restorative materials (e.g., ceramic, composites and acrylic resins).
• Primary colors: Red, yellow, blue
• The primary coloring pigments are very similar to the subtractive
primaries, but they are referred to as red, yellow, and blue, rather than
magenta, yellow, and cyan, respectively.
• Like the subtractive primaries, these are the colors that are perceived
when one of the RGB wavelengths is absorbed: Red is perceived when
green is absorbed; yellow is perceived when blue is absorbed; and blue is
perceived when red is absorbed.
• Secondary colors: Orange, green, violet
• The secondary coloring pigments are formed by combining two of the
primary colors: Red and yellow create orange; yellow and blue create
green; and blue and red create violet

• Complementary colors
• Complementary colors are so named because they ―go well‖
together; these are the colors often seen paired in advertising.
• Complementary colors are those that, when additively mixed in
suitable proportions, will generate an achromatic stimulus (dull
gray) that absorbs and reflects/transmits all wavelengths in
equal amounts.
• Complementary coloring pigment pairs are blue/orange,
red/green, and yellow/violet.
• The additive principle of complementary colors may be used to alter
the value of restorations.
• For example, if the value of a restoration needs to be lowered, the
complementary color can be added to that restoration to make the shade
more gray and hence lower in value (eg, shade A3 contains an orange
hue; therefore, adding blue stain will create a lower value).

METAMERISM

• The color reproduction of the tooth with restorative material is

possible only due to the phenomenon called metamerism, observed
when objects that have different physicochemical characteristics
interact similarly with light energy resulting in equal chromatic
appearance.
• These objects are called metameric pairs.
• In aesthetic dentistry, the search for metameric pair formation is
imperative when trying to reproduce the color of the tooth using
restorative material.
• Despite the various treatment techniques performed by direct or
indirect method, there are situations that can cause the chromatic
differentiation of metameric pairs and the aesthetic failure of
treatment.
• Called "metameric failure", these situations can be noted in the
object or the observer
• Metameric failures manifested on the object, which usually occur after
making restoration, are generally associated with changes in light
source.
• A common mistake is to perform the procedure of selection and color
reproduction under halogen light reflector.
• In this condition the restoration can seamlessly blend into the tooth,or
repair of ceramic restoration can be perfectly realized with the use of
composite resin, but in a richer light source (natural light for example),
different interactions can occur between light, the tooth and the
restorative material, resulting in perception of different colors.
• To avoid this situation, as described before, the color selection and
reproduction procedures require lamps presenting a broad and balanced
light spectrum, simulating the natural light in ideal conditions

• Metameric failures manifested in the observer can occur when the

illuminating source and the object keeps constant with different
observers.
• It is a result of the complex psycho physiological mechanism,
beginning with the eye capture and the brain interpretation of each
viewer.
• Thus, the color of a restoration may be satisfactory for the professional
and patient and unsatisfactory to their relatives and friends.
 • The solution to this problem is viable but costly.
• An alternative is to use electronic devices for color selection.
• As we shall see later, the instrumental method of observation is an
important aid for professionals of all levels, although these instruments do
not guarantee that metameric failure manifested in the observer no longer
occurs because the subjectivity of the final color is always performed by
the visual method.

MEASUREMENT OF COLOR
• Color determination in dentistry can be divided into two categories:
• Visual
• Instrumental

VISUAL TECHNIQUE

• Visual color determination of a patient’s tooth is the most frequently

applied method in clinical dentistry.
• Visual color assessment is dependent on the observer’s physiologic and
psychologic responses to radiant energy stimulation.
• Inconsistencies may result from uncontrolled factors such as fatigue, aging,
emotions, lighting conditions, previous eye exposure, object and illuminant
position and metamerism.
 INSTRUMENTAL TECHNIQUE

• Instrumental color analysis, on the other hand, offers a potential advantage

over visual color determination because instrumental readings are objective,
can be quantified and are more rapidly obtained.
• Spectrophotometers and colorimeters have been used with modifications in
an attempt to overcome problems with visual shade matching in dentistry.
• Photoelectric tristimulus colorimeters have the potential to remove some of
the shortcomings of the visual method and have been shown to provide
accurate and repeatable measurements; however, they are not error-proof.
• In dentistry, the results of a colorimetric device can be altered because the
standardized illuminating light emitted from the device may be scattered,
absorbed, transmitted, reflected and even displaced in a sideways direction
as a result of the translucent optical properties of teeth and dental ceramic

SHADE TAKING DEVICES

SHADE GUIDES

• Shade matching tools are called color standards or shade guides.

• There are different types of color standards for dentistry, depending on their
purpose and the tissue for which they are intended.
• Tooth color standards, color standards for oral soft-tissues and color
standards for facial prostheses-commonly known as dental, gingival and
facial shade guides, respectively - are possible.
• Clark introduced a custom shade guide in 1931 based on visual assessment
of human teeth, recorded in Munsell hue, value and chroma.
• Acknowledging the deficiencies of the available guides, Sproull, in the
early 70s, suggested that an ideal shade guide should consist of shade
(color) tabs that are well distributed and logically arranged in color space,
preferably based on the Munsell color system.
• A new generation of shade guides has been developed to address these
deficiencies.
• Shofu offered the natural color concept (NCC)while Vita introduced a
3-dimensional shade guide system (Vita 3D-Master)

THE NCC SYSTEM

• The NCC system consists of 208 color blends based on 38 basic shades.
• The manufacturer purports that these blends are logically arranged in L* a*
b* color space according to Munsell hue, chroma and value.
• In addition, the shade guides and veneering material are made of the same
material to avoid the effect of metamerism.
 VITAPAN CLASSICAL SHADE GUIDE

• The VITAPAN Classical shade guide introduced in 1956, has been, and
still is widely used for shade matching in dentistry, however it is not the
most appropriate tool for measuring color changes due to use of whitening
treatments.
• Criticism of the empirical design of these shade guides, the logic of its
structure, and the color distribution let to the development of the 3D-
MASTER.
• HUE:
• A red-brown
• B red-yellow
• C gray
• D red-gray

• VALUE:
• 1234
• 1 lightest
• 4 darkest

• Arrangement from lightest to darkest

• B1,A1,B2,D2
• A2,C1,C2,D4
• A3,D3,B3,A3.5
• B4,C3,A4,C4
 VITA3D-MASTER
• There are three VITA 3-D MASTER shade guides;
• Toothguide
• Linearguide
• Bleachedguide.
• The 3D-MASTER was developed based on research and according to the
literature, it has the smallest coverage error compared to natural teeth.
• The 3D-master tabs are marked using a number-letter number combination.
• The first number designates Value, from 0 –the lightest, to 5 – the darkest.
• The middle letter designates Hue with the L, M, and R corresponding to
yellowish, medium and reddish Hue
• The second number designates Chroma, from the least Chromatic –1 to the
most Chromatic –3.

TOOTHGUIDE

• The primary group division of Toothguide is based on value:

• Group 0 = 3 tabs (bleached shades, the lightest)
• Group 1 = 2 tabs
• Group 2 = 7 tabs
• Group 3 = 7 tabs
• Group 4 = 7 tabs
• Group 5 = 3 tabs (the darkest)
• Groups 0, 1, and 5 consist of only one hue, marked with the letter M.
• In groups 2, 3, and 4, tabs with different hues are divided into three
rows, which are marked by letters:
• L (left) = Yellowish
• M (middle) = Middle hue
• R (right) = Reddish
• Within the groups, chroma is marked by the numbers after the letter
designating hue, which increase vertically:
• 1 = Low chroma
• 2 = Medium chroma
• 3 = High chroma

• The manufacturer-recommended protocol consists of three

steps:
1. Value (lightness) determination: The user selects the value
level by selecting a group (from 0 to 5) that is closest to the
value of the tooth to be matched, and then takes the medium
(M) shade sample from the selected value group.
2. Chroma determination: The user selects the color sample
from the M group with the chroma level (from 1 to 3) that is
closest to that of the tooth to be matched.
3. Hue determination: The clinician checks whether the natural tooth
displays a more yellowish (L) or more reddish (R) shade than the color
sample of the group (value and chroma) selected in the second step if
group 2, 3, or 4 was chosen; as there is no hue variation in groups 0, 1,
and 5, shade matching for those groups ends with step 2.
• The best-matching shade tab is determined, and the information is
recorded in the color communication form.

LINEARGUIDE
• The Linearguide shade guide has the same 29 tabs as the
Toothguide but its organizational structure is different and shade
matching is thereby reduced to two steps.
1. Value selection: A dark-gray holder containing only six middle tabs (0M2
to 5M2) is used. The small number of tabs with large color differences
and the linear tab arrangement simplify group selection.
2. Chroma and hue selection: In a fi nal selection, a light-gray holder with
the group corresponding to the initial value selection in step 1 is used for
the fi nal selection of chroma and hue.

BLEACHEDGUIDE

• The bleachedguide shade guide is the only shade guide developed

specifically for shade matching of teeth which have been previously
bleached and not matched with other shade guides.
• The Bleachedguide is actually a color scale (it is not a value scale), which
from right to left accurately mimics tooth color changes upon bleaching:
Value and hue increase, while chroma decreases.
• Bleachedguide exhibits a wider color range and more consistent color
distribution than the VITA classical A1-D4 and color-ordered Trubyte
Bioform (Dentsply)
• In a visual assessment of shade guides used for whitening monitoring, it
was found that the visually determined lightest to darkest order was
identical to that suggested by the manufacturer only for Bleachedguide.
 SHADE MATCHING PROTOCOL
• Recommended protocol
1. The patient removes any lipstick or other makeup that could affect
shade matching. If the patient is wearing bright clothing, it is
prudent to cover the patient with a neutral-colored bib.
2. The existing tooth structure on which the restoration will be
fabricated is cleaned and evaluated (eg, to determine whether it is
vital or discolored by previous endodontic work or metal
restorations). This will influence tooth preparation design and
material selection.
3. The translucency and opacity of the patient’s natural teeth are
determined. This will help in the material selection process. Surface
roughness, gloss, and local color characteristics should also be noted.

4. The shade selection is made at the beginning of the appointment,

before the eyes become too fatigued. The eyes should be aligned
evenly with the patient’s teeth level, at a distance of 25 to 35 cm (10
to 14 inches). It is important not to view the comparison for more
than 5 to 7 seconds at a time to avoid fatiguing the cones of the
retina. A neutral gray card should be observed between two trials.

5. Shade tabs should be held and aligned so that light reflects off the
shade tab in a similar manner. It is important to determine the
shade when the teeth are most hydrated—teeth dry out during the
preparation and impression-making procedures.
6. ―Macro-mini-micro‖ shade-matching method:
7. We typically start with a macro phase (triage) by utilizing the
entire shade guide and selecting and setting aside the potentially
appropriate shade tabs or groups for further comparison, while
eliminating the tabs representing unsatisfactory matches.
8. In the mini phase, the tabs selected in the macro phase are narrowed
down, and the best matches for gingival, body, and incisal areas are
selected.
9. The micro phase is related to fine-tuning and analysis of differences in
value, chroma, and hue among natural teeth and the tabs selected in the
mini phase. The fi ndings are communicated together with information
on other details related to color, translucency, surface texture, and any
other relevant aspect.

10. A single shade tab can be positioned as follows:

11. Incisal of the shade tab to incisal of the tooth : Very good for
comparison of incisal thirds, but not so good for comparison of the
middle or gingival third
12. Gingival to incisal: The least recommended

13. Horizontally to the natural teeth : The smallest distance between the
middle third of the shade tab and the natural tooth

14. When positioning tabs next to the tooth whose color being
matched, one option is to incline the shade tab at an angle of
approximately 120 degrees to the tooth and observe from the
direction of its bisecting line.
 15. A variety of shade tabs are used to analyze the opposing dentition’s
value in the gingival, body, and incisal areas. Value is analyzed first,
followed by chroma, then hue.
16. Final shade selection should be verifi ed using different lights,
observation angles, and distances; during different appointments;
and/or by different clinicians.
17. Once an ideal match has been selected, a very bright shade tab and a
very dark shade tab are photographed next to the teeth to be matched.
The full smile is also photographed.
18. The clinician communicates with the technician and verifies the
restoration upon receipt. This verification should be performed under
several lighting conditions (eg, color corrected light and natural
daylight) to ensure the accuracy of the match.

DON’TS

• Do not perform shade matching at an arm-length distance. This might work

in the macro phase when the entire shade guide is used for initial
comparisons, but it does not fare well when it comes to one-on-one shade
tab–tooth comparisons.
• Do not match the shade of a dry tooth or immediately after bleaching.
Dehydrated teeth and just-bleached teeth are lighter and less chromatic, and
there is a color rebound upon rehydration and after several days upon
bleaching.
• Do not hold the shade tab far away from the tooth of interest, do not
compare different areas (eg, gingival to incisal), and do not superimpose the
incisal third of the tab over the metal tab holder.
• Do not perform a single shade-matching trial over a prolonged time period
(longer than 10 seconds).
• Do not observe a blue surface in between shade-matching trials to ―rest
the eyes.‖ While relaxing the red and green cones (by staring at a blue
card) will increase sensitivity to yellow, looking at blue fatigues the blue
cones to some extent so that subsequently, a neutral field may appear
slightly yellow. Therefore, one should rather gaze at a gray card between
trials

TECHNOLOGY BASED SHADE MATCHING

• Digital cameras
• Spectrophotometers
• Colorimeters

• Spot measurement (SM) devices measure a small area on the tooth surface,
while complete-tooth measurement (CTM) devices measure the entire tooth

• For SM, devices, the size or diameter of the optical device aperture
(generally about 3 mm2) will determine how much of the tooth surface
and subsequent shade is measured. Examples of such SM technologies
are the Shofu ShadeEye-NCC chroma meter system and the Vita
EasyShade system.
• CTM systems measure the entire tooth surface and provide a
topographical map of the tooth in one image. Measurement of the
complete surface gives the operator more consistent and reproducible
information about the tooth structure.
 DIGITAL CAMERAS

• Digital photography, like many of the newer electronic technologies in the

industry, offers significant benefits to dental practices
• Instead of focusing light on the film to create a chemical reaction, digital
cameras capture images using charged coupled devices, which contain
millions of microscopically small light-sensitive elements
• The advantage of this method is that the camera records each of the three
colors at each pixel location.
• ShadeScan combine digital color analysis with colorimetric analysis, but
SpectroShade is the only one that combines digital color imaging with
spectrophotometric analysis.

SPECTROPHOTOMETERS
• A spectrophotometer measures and records the amount of visible radiant
energy reflected or transmitted by an object one wavelength at a time for
each value, chroma and hue present in the entire visible spectrum.
• There are two basic optical light settings used in reflectance
spectrophotometer instruments: Illumination at 0 degrees and
observation at 45° (0/45) or illumination at 45° and observation at 0°
(45/0). Because of the limited access afforded by the oral cavity, only
the 45/0 option is suitable for clinical use
 COLORIMETERS

• Filter colorimeters generally use three or four silicon photodiodes that

have spectral correction filters.
• These filters act as analog function generators that limit spectral
characteristics of light striking the detector surface
• The filter colorimeters are considered inferior to scanning devices like
spectrophotometers because of the inability to match the standard
observer functions. However, because of their consistent and rapid
sensing nature, these devices can be used for quality control

PROBLEMS DURING SHADE MATCHING

• Color vision problem/color blindness

• Age
• Fatigue
• Emotions
• Medications
• Binocular differnce
• Environmental influences
 ARTICLE REVIEW

• A comparison between visual, intraoral scanner, and spectrophotometer

shade matching: A clinical study
-The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry,
May, 2018
• The purpose of this clinical study was to compare the reliability of different
visual and instrumental methods for dental shade matching.

• Materials and Methodology:

• Visual shade matching was performed by 3 experienced clinicians using 2
different shade guides (VITA Classical A1-D4 and VITA Toothguide 3D-
MASTER with 29 tabs; VITA Zahnfabrik) with and without the aid of a
light-correcting device (Smile Lite; Smile Line).
• An intraoral scanner (TRIOS; 3Shape A/S) and a spectrophotometer
(VITA Easyshade Advance 4.0; VITA Zahnfabrik) were also used for color
shade matching
• The instrumental methods were repeated 3 times to determine
repeatability.
• The Fleiss’ kappa statistical test was used to assess the reliability of each
method.

• Results: Instrumental methods were more accurate than visual methods.

The best performance was found for the intraoral scanner configured for
the 3D-MASTER scale (Fleiss’ kappa value of .874) and for the
spectrophotometer configured for the VITA Classical scale (Fleiss’ kappa
value of .805). The best visual shade-matching method was the VITA
Classical scale associated with the light-correcting device
• Conclusion: Instrumental methods for color shade matching were more
reliable than the visual methods tested.
 CONCLUSION
• The color and appearance of teeth is a complex phenomenon, with many
factors such as lighting conditions, translucency, opacity, light scattering,
gloss and the human eye and brain influencing the overall perception of
tooth color.
• Continued research on the human visual system has given us greater insight
into how color discrimination is affected by environment and other features
such as disease, drugs and aging.
• The basic fundamentals of color and light, the radiation spectrum and the
optical characteristics of the object is to be understood before evaluating
and selecting the proper color shade for the restoration.
• This skill cannot be thoroughly mastered in the absence of scientific
knowledge, nor can it be fully grasped by merely memorizing facts
about color.
• Together, knowledge and experience provide rewarding solutions to this
challenging aspect of dentistry.

REFERENCES

• Color in Dentistry: A Clinical Guide to Predictable Esthetics

• Color and Shade Management in Esthetic Dentistry; 2003
• Dental Esthetics in Practice: Part 3 - Understanding Color & Shade
Selection
• Color Selection and Reproduction in Dentistry. Part 1: Fundamentals of
Color
• The Science of Color and Shade selection in Esthetic Dentistry;2002