Colour Science and Shade Selection For PDF

The Science of Colour
and Shade Selection

By: Mohamed El Halawani
Colour Perception
•Colour can be de ned as the
wavelength of light re ected by an
object.
• Colour that is perceived

is the result of;
1. Light source
2. The object that absorbs,

transmits, re ects or scatters
the light from the source
3. The interpretation of the result

by the human visual system
Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

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1. Light
• Form of visible energy that is part of the radiant energy

spectrum. Radiant energy possesses speci c
wavelengths, which may be used to identify the type of
energy.
• Each colour represents a range of wavelengths in the

spectrum of white light.

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2. Object
• Colour perception depends on the object on which the

light falls.
• A black object absorbs all wavelengths of light
• A white object re ects all wavelengths of light
• A blue object absorbs all wavelengths except blue

which is re ected back.

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2. Object (Teeth)
• In our case, the object
re ecting and/or scattering the
light is the human tooth.
• Made up of
• Enamel; translucent, allows

penetration of light
• Dentin; more opaque
• Human teeth fall into a

category of very ne
graduations of whitish yellow.

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3. Human Visual System
• The human eye only sees colours in the visible portion of

the spectrum
(from 380 to 780 nm).
• The retina contains two types of photoreceptors, rods and

cones.

3. Human Visual System
• The rods are more numerous, some 120 million, and are
more sensitive than the cones. However, they are not
sensitive to color.
• The 6 to 7 million cones provide the eye's color sensitivity

and they are much more concentrated in the central
yellow spot known as the macula.

Understanding Colour
• Since human vision is
trichromatic, colours were
described into;
• Primary Colours - are sets

of colors that can be
combined to make a useful
range of colors.
• Secondary Colours - are

colours occurring by
combinations of 2 or more
primary colours

• Complementary colors: are

any two hues that sit directly
opposite each other on the
color mixing wheel.
• When you mix these two

colours 1:1, they
"complement" (=complete)
each other to a neutral grey.

• There is a di erence in opposing colours between the 3
colour system and the 4 colour system.

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The Munsell System
• Is a colour wheel
describing colour in 3
main aspects;
• Hue
• Chroma
• Value
• It is the system that best

serves the needs of the
dental profession in its
attempt to visualize and
organize colour

Goldstein RE. Esthetics in Dentistry, Volume 1: Principles, Communications, Treatment Methods (Book with CD-ROM for Windows and Macintosh): B.C. Decker; 1998.
The Munsell System
• Hue: is referred to as the basic
colour on the wheel. i.e red,
green, yellow.
• It is the quality of sensation

according to which an
observer is aware of the
varying wavelengths of radiant
energy.
• It distinguishes one colour

family from another.
•

The Munsell System
• Chroma (or saturation)

is the purity of the colour or its
departure from white/grey
(intensity of hue).
• Chroma is measured from the

central (at zero) outwards. The
higher the number the more
vivid the colour
•

The Munsell System
• Value: the quality by which a
light colour is distinguished
from a dark colour.
• The dimension of a colour that

denotes relative blackness or
whiteness.
• Numbered from 0 - 10 with 0

being the darkest and 10 the
whitest
•

The Munsell System
• Short-comings of the Munsell;
• No distinction between
translucent and opaque.
• Di erence in texture is also

not addressed.
•

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Optical Phenomena
Affecting Tooth Shades
Metamerism
• It is the appearance of 2 samples of di erent colour curves to be

matching under one light but not matching under another.

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Fluorescence
• Considered a metameric e ect that results due to the uorescent
nature of teeth under ultraviolet light.
• The glow of teeth under the

ultraviolet light is a result of
their own uorescence.
• Fluorescence is achieved in
porcelain by adding certain
uorescing rare earths into it
(radium not used anymore)
• Lighter teeth have more uorescence than darker shades

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Translucency
• Due to trasmission and

di usion of light
• Enamel more translucent than

dentin
• Gives depth and vitality to

teeth and restorations
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Translucency
• Increase in translucency —> lower value (Greyness)
• Decrease in translucency —> lifeless appearance
Opalescence
• Opalescence is a type of
dichroism seen in highly
dispersed systems with little
opacity, due to scattering of
light on hitting the dispersed
particles.
• Named after opal stones.
• The material appears

yellowish-red in transmitted
light and blue in the scattered
light perpendicular to the
transmitted light.

Opalescence
• It is a natural phenomenon in
teeth occurring due to the
translucency of enamel.
• The color changes with the

change in angle of the light
and perception of the viewer.
Shade Selection
Importance
• The demand for aesthetic

services is ever increasing in
dentistry, with patients
expecting restorations to
recreate natural teeth in all
aspects.
• The patient is now involved in

diagnosis, treatment planning
and evaluation of nal
outcome of treatment.

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Guidelines for Clinical
Shade Selection
1. Light (source & location), and light restriction
2. Surrounding colours
3. Patient position
4. Distance from patient
5. Tooth condition
6. Comparison procedure and time
7. Veri cation of shade
8. Diagram
9. Photograph
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1. Light Source
• Source of light is important as di erent lights have

di erent e ects on re ective curves and colour of objects
as teeth and shade guides are made of di erent materials
(metamerism)
• Sunlight is the traditional source of light for shade

matching (6500 K)
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1. Light Source
• Standard clear sky daylight during the middle portion of

the day (noon-time) should be used
1. Light Source
• Colour corrected lighting can be used instead. It must
resemble daylight with;
• Colour temperature of around 5500 K
• Closely resembles mid-day light
• Balances all hues in the spectral curve
• Near ultraviolet component ( uorescence - which

neutralises yellowish shade of tooth)
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1. Light restriction
• Dental professionals should be checked for their colour

vision.
• Dental professionals should not wear tinted eyewear or

contact lenses during colour matching and reproduction
Paravina R. Color in Dentistry: Is “Everything We Know” Really So. Inside Dental Assisting. 2008.
2. Surrounding Environment
• To avoid colour distraction from a patient’s personal

e ects, the patient should remove lipstick, heavy rouge,
and eyeglasses.
• Shade matching should be done with no rubber dam in

place.
•
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3. Patient Position
• The patient should be in an upright position when the

shade is selected so that the teeth may be viewed under
the same conditions which they will be seen in business
and social life.
• Traditional shade-matching distance at arm’s length has

been used for years (might not be appropriate).
• Shade-matching distance basically depends on the size

of observed object(s).
•
• Visual angle of subtense increases as observation

distance decreases and the size of the observed object
increases.
• An angle of subtense of at least 4° and not smaller than

2°
• If a tooth is approximated to a 10 mm diameter circle then,
• A single tooth and its local colour characteristics should

be observed at a distance of 25 cm. (about 2.3° angle)
• Shade matching is a comparison between the tooth and

a shade tab so a distance of 33 cm provides an
adequate angle of subtense (still smaller than 4°) for
both of them
• °
5. Tooth Condition
• The patient’s teeth should be cleaned to remove plaque

and stains.
• The tooth and shade tab should be kept moist during

shade selection (to mimic the normal oral environment
they will be viewed in)
•
6. Comparison Procedure
and Time
• The dental practitioner should begin the shade- matching

process soon after the patient’s arrival, when his or her
eyes are “fresh.”
• Starting promptly may delay the onset of eye fatigue, and

also forestall colour shifts that can result when a patient’s
tooth dehydrates.
•
and Time
• A single shade-matching trial should last approximately 5
seconds to prevent fatigue.
• It was reported in dental literature that observing a blue

card between shade-matching trials increases yellow
sensitivity, thus improving the chances for a good match,
however observing a blue card for long fatigues the blue-
sensitive cones to the extent that a neutral eld may
appear slightly yellow. Therefore a grey card is
recommended.
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and Time
• The practitioner’s eyes should be level with the tooth

surface.
• Whenever possible, the shade tab should occupy the

same plane and same relative edge position as the tooth
being matched, with the tab carrier placed
perpendicularly to the vertical axis of the tab.
•
and Time
• It is best to evaluate prospective colour specimens one at

a time by holding it next to the tooth being matched, or
the closest 3 shades could be used together to determine
which is closest then viewed individually.
• Holding the entire shade guide can cause confusion and

di culty
•
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7. Veri cation of Shade
• A second opinion (dental assistant and/or patient) should

help verify the shade as this compensates for any fatigue
or visual colour defects.

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8. Diagram / Prescription
Form
• Diagram or prescription form is very
important in relaying the information
gathered accurately to the dental
lab technician
• The form and extent of translucency

as well as other unique
characteristic such as enamel
checks or stained areas can also be
identi ed and geographically
located in the diagram.

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8. Diagram / Prescription
Form
• A prescription form is a more standardised method of

relaying the info the technician

9. Photography
• Photographs are not accurate representations of clinical

colour, they can be useful in showing the laboratory
technician the extent of translucency and the magnitude
and location of surface characteristics.

9. Photography
• The photographs can also be taken with the shade tab

beside the tooth to relay to the technician the colour with
accuracy.

Shade Matching
Techniques
• Traditional shade matching (using tabs)
• Digital shade matching
• Spectrophotometers
• Colorimeters

1. Traditional Shade
Matching
• Done by the human eye by matching one of more

selected colours from a range of shade tabs to the teeth
adjacent or contralateral to tooth being restored.
• The information is then relayed to the technician using a

prescription. The more detailed the prescription the better
the nal outcome.

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Matching
• Advantages:
• Less expensive
• Can be done almost anywhere

Matching
Disadvantages is that it mainly depends on perception of the naked eye which is
unpredictable
• Depends on operator’s perception of colour
• Females see colour chroma and hue > males
• Males are better at distinguishing value
• Younger individuals see colour better
• Surroundings have an e ect on how we see colour (room colours, patient

makeup and clothing)
• Di erent sources of light available
• Metamerism

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1. Older Shade Guides
• Old shade guides were made
of acrylic or composite teeth.
• They were unreliable as they

lack the depth of porcelain
shade tabs and they lose
colour faster.
2. VITAPAN Classical Shade System
2. VITAPAN Classical Shade
System
• Appeared in the 1950s and became the standard in dental

profession till the appearance of the VITA 3D Master.
• IT is still the most commonly used system worldwide.

VITAPAN Classical Shade
System
• Before it is used it should be rearranged into a value
based order from B1 to A4

System
• The patient is asked to smile and the shade guide is

passed in front of patients teeth from darker shades to
whiter ones till a group of shades is chosen

System
• The tabs of the chosen group are brought edge to edge
with the tooth in question to narrow down the actual
colour.
• The most appropriate colour is pulled out and compared

directly to the tooth

System
• The chosen colour tab is rotated and positioned adjacent
to the natural tooth for con rmation.
• Several readings are necessary to create a colour map of

the tooth. Atleast 3 readings are made one gingival 1/3,
one middle and one incisal 1/3.

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3. VITAPAN 3D-Master
Shade System
• 1st comprehensive tab shade guide introduced in dental
eld.

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VITAPAN 3D-Master Shade
System
• Made up of 26 shade tabs
• Arranged into 5 groups (1 - 5),

each group has an equal value,
each divided into ranges of
chroma and hue.

System
1. The value group is chosen for the tooth in question since

it is the easiest for the human eye to decide.

System
2. Selection of the chroma; the M group is chosen (most

occurring in nature) from the value set and then the chroma
is chosen from one of the 3 options.

System
3. The last thing to be chosen is the hue (L, M, R) in this

system

4. VITA Linearguide
3D-MASTER
• Last shade guide produced by VITA.
• Operates on the same principle of the 3D- Master

VITA Linearguide
3D-MASTER
• The shade guide is divided into di erent groups and a
Value-guide based on M2 shade tab in each value group

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5. Custom-Made Shade
Guides
• Custom-Made shade guides are an option and can be

produced from either composite blocks or red porcelain
blocks.
• They are helpful in shade matching as they can determine

the accurate shade of the nished restoration as they are
made from the same material.
• Intermediate colours can be fabricated.

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Digital Shade Matching Technologies
2. Digital Shade Matching
• Advantages
• More accurate and reliable than using colour tabs
• Both techniques eliminate ambient light
• Shade can be taken by any operator
• Easier and more practical than traditional shade

matching

2 Main Di erent Technologies:
A. Spectrophotometer
• Measures tooth colour in reference to known speci c

colours
• They are precise indicating graduations of value,

chroma and hue giving an accurate interpretation of the
tooth shade
• Can be related to an existing shade tab

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• Spectrophotometer - examples;
• VITA Easyshade
• VITA Easyshade Compact
• MHT SpectroShade

B. Colorimeters
• Analyses tooth colour based on preloaded data that is

related to a shade system
• Determines the closest shade to the actual tooth colour
• Less accurate that spectrophotometer

• Colorimeters - examples:
• Cynovad ShadeScan
• Shofu ShadeEye NCC
• Metalor Ikam Shade Analysis

System

Using a Digital Shade Guide
VITA Easyshade Compact
1. Shade calibration: made before every shade-matching

procedure.
The hand piece is touched to the colour corrected tab at the
base and held for several seconds till calibration is
con rmed

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2. Choosing a mode
• Tooth single mode (averaged shade of the whole tooth)
• Tooth areas mode (3 segment mapping) - to be

discussed in detail
• Verify restoration mode (checking restorations)
• Shade tab mode (verify with shade tab)

Tooth Area Mode Chosen;
• Active dot on device appears

at cervical area of tooth
diagram.
• The tip is placed on the

cervical 1/3 of the tooth and
a reading is made.

• An OK signal appears in
the cervical 1/3, and now
the active dot is at the
middle 1/3
• A reading is now taken

on the middle 1/3 of the
labial surface

• Same is repeated with the

incisal 1/3
• Finally the screen will show

the shades for the 3
segments in both Vita
Classical and Vita 3D
format

Thank You

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The Science of Colour

and Shade Selection

• Colour that is perceived

2. The object that absorbs,

3. The interpretation of the result

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• Form of visible energy that is part of the radiant energy

• Each colour represents a range of wavelengths in the

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• Colour perception depends on the object on which the

• A black object absorbs all wavelengths of light

• A white object re ects all wavelengths of light

• A blue object absorbs all wavelengths except blue

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• Enamel; translucent, allows

• Dentin; more opaque

• Human teeth fall into a

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• The human eye only sees colours in the visible portion of

• The retina contains two types of photoreceptors, rods and

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• The 6 to 7 million cones provide the eye's color sensitivity

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• Primary Colours - are sets

• Secondary Colours - are

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• Complementary colors: are

• When you mix these two

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• It is the system that best

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• It is the quality of sensation

• It distinguishes one colour

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• Chroma (or saturation)

• Chroma is measured from the

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• The dimension of a colour that

• Numbered from 0 - 10 with 0

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• Short-comings of the Munsell;

• Di erence in texture is also

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• It is the appearance of 2 samples of di erent colour curves to be

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• The glow of teeth under the

• Lighter teeth have more uorescence than darker shades

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• Due to trasmission and

• Enamel more translucent than

• Gives depth and vitality to

• Increase in translucency —> lower value (Greyness)

• Decrease in translucency —> lifeless appearance

• Named after opal stones.

• The material appears

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

• The color changes with the

• The demand for aesthetic

• The patient is now involved in

Freedman GA. Contemporary esthetic dentistry: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2011

4. Distance from patient

6. Comparison procedure and time