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GOOD AFTERNOON
The Science of Color and
Shade Selection

Presented by
Gaurav Tripathi
P.G. Student
Dept. of Prosthodontics
 Esthetics
The theory or philosophy of taste; the
science of the beautiful in nature and art;
especially that which treats of the
expression and embodiment of beauty by
art.[Websters].
It is not absolute but
extremely subjectiveEsthetics
Earlier it was thought as
 Hegel’s Statement

“Beauty is substance of imagination

and feeling, cannot be an exact
sign”
 Outline
• Light and Color
– Description of Light
• Quality of light
– Description of Color
• Munsell Color System
• Hue, Chroma, Value
– Factors influencing perception
• The eye (rods and cones)
• Shade selection
– Techniques for determining shade / Shade guides
– Shade mapping
 Visible electromagnetic energy whose
wavelength is measured in nanometers (nm)
Without Light Color Does Not Exist
We are going to understand the basic relationship of light ,color
and visual perception
•The eye is only sensitive to the visible portion
of the spectrum (380 – 750nm)
•Different wavelengths constitute the different
colors we perceive
 Main sources of light

The Sun

The Fire
Principle sources of artificial
light
Incandescent
light

Florescent
Tube

Photographic
Flash
 Pure White Light
• When passed through a prism we see component
colors of white light
• Shorter
wavelengths band
more than longer
wavelengths

380nm

750nm
 Quality of Light / 3 Types
1. Incandescent Light

2. Fluorescent Light

3. Natural Daylight

Most dental offices are outfitted with incandescent

and fluorescent lights
 1. Incandescent Light
• Emits high concentration of yellow waves
• Not suitable for shade matching
 2. Fluorescent Light
• Emits high concentration of blue waves
• Not suitable for shade matching
 3. Natural Daylight
• Northern daylight considered the best
• Closest to emitting the full spectrum of
white light
• Used as the standard by which to judge
other light sources
 Color Rendering Index
• CRI = (0-100)
• Shade selection is done with a light having more
than 90 CRI
• Northern daylight (hence CRI) affected by
– Time of day
– Cloud cover
– Humidity
– Pollution
 CRI and Time of Day
Morning and evening Mid-day
Color is the subjective impression
formed in a specific portion of
brain owing to the specialization of
certain cells-rods and cones
distributed in retina of the eye
 Color
Influenced by three main factors
1. Physical properties of the object

2. Assessment of the observer

3. Nature of incident light

Relationship to other colored objects

A surface of an object appears
red for an example when it
reflects long waves but absorb
light or the complementary color
blue
“Light that enters the human eye from that object”

Dimensions of Color
• Numerous scientist came with the
approach to tell about the part of the color
but it was Munsell’s(1961) system which
best serves to rank the color coz it view
differences between neighboring color at
regular interval

• Hue, value, chroma are very well presented

in Munsell's’ color scale
• This system was intended for evaluation of
opaque surface and therefore not fully
applicable for teeth whose surface are
translucent
• Therefore 4th dimension that of translucency
has to be added in the system
• Hence 4 dimension of color –hue, value,
chroma and translucency – should be
quantified as clearly and accurately as
possible in defining the natural tooth or
ceramic color
 Translucency
• The degree to which light is transmitted
rather than absorbed or reflected
• Highest translucency is transparent
• While lowest is opacity
Perception of Color
 Color Perception
• Rods

– Scotopic (gray scale) vision, interpret brightness

• Cones

– Highest concentration on central retina (macula),

most color perceptive area of eye
 Color Adaptation
• Color vision decreases rapidly as object is
observed
– Leads to retinal Fatigue
• Viewing a pale blue or gray surface
between shade matching will restore color
vision
 Metamerism
Two colors that appear to be a match under a
given lighting condition but have different
spectral reflectance = metamers, the
phenomenon is metamerism.

1st Light source 2nd Light source 3rd Light source

Shade selection
 Shade
Selection
• Timing
• Lighting
• Patient preparation
• Shade guides

Conventional
Custom made
Technology based shade guide
systems
Principles of Shade Selection

1. Teeth to be matched must be clean

2. Remove bright colors from field of view
- makeup / tinted eye glasses
- bright gloves
- neutral operatory walls
1. View patient at eye level
 Principles of Shade Selection ……

4. Evaluate shade under multiple light sources

5. Make shade comparisons at beginning of appointment

6. Shade comparisons should be made quickly to avoid eye

fatigue
 Commercial Shade Guides
• Most common method of making shade
selections
• Guides consist of shade tabs
– Metal backing
– Opaque porcelain
– Neck, body, and incisal color
• Select tab with the most natural
intraoral appearance
 Commercial Shade Guides

• Vita Classic

• Vitapan 3D –Master

• Extended Range Shade Guides

 Vita Classic Shade Guide
• Very popular shade guide

A B C D

• A3 = hue of red-yellow, chroma of 3

 Grey
Red/Yellow Yellow Grey Red/Yellow

A B C D
 Vita Classic – Step 1
(Hue Selection)

Operator should select hue closest to

that of natural tooth
 Chroma
The intensity or saturation of a hue

Low Chroma High Chroma

 Vita Classic – Step 2
(Chroma Selection)

• Hue selection has been made (B)

• Chroma is selected from gradations within the B tabs-
B1, B2, B3, B4
Several comparisons should be made
Avoid retinal fatigue
Rest eyes between comparisons (blue-gray)
 Value

• The relative darkness or lightness of a color, or

brightness of an object

Low Value High Value

 Vita Classic – Step 3
(Value Selection)

• Value oriented shade guide

– B1, A1, B2, D2, A2, C1, C2, D4, A3,
D3, B3, A3.5, B4, C3, A4, C4,

Value best determined by squinting with comparisons

made at arms length
Decreases light Diminishes cone sensitivity, increases
rod sensitivity
 Value

Chroma
- Equal in Chroma / Variation in Value
- Variation in Chroma / Equal in Value
 Vita Classic – Step 4
(Final Check / Revision)

• Potential Problem
–tabs selected for hue and
chroma may not coincide with
shade tab selected for value
VITAPAN 3D-MASTER Shade
Guide

5
4
3
2
1
 Vita-3D – Step 1
• Determine the lightness
level (value)

• Start with darkest group moving

right to left

• Select Value group

1, 2, 3, 4, or 5
 Vita-3D – Step 2
• Select the chroma

• From your selected Value

group, remove the middle
tab (M) and spread the
samples out like a fan

• Select one of the three

shade samples to
determine chroma
 Vita-3D – Step 3
• Determine the hue

• Check whether the

natural tooth is more
yellowish or more
reddish than the
shade sample
selected
 Vita-3D – Step 4
• For more precise shade, intermediate
levels for hue, value, and chroma can be
given
– 2.5M2 = value between 2M2 and 3m2
– 3M1.5 = chroma between 3M1 and 3M2
– 3M2 / 3L2.5 = hue between 3M2 and 3L2.5
Extended Range Shade Guides

• Some porcelain systems extend

the typical range

• Bleached shades

• Dentin shades

• Custom shade guides

 Advancements in
Shade Eye
Shade selection
Vita Easy
shade.

Spactroshade. Shade
 Importance of luting agent
• Luting agent shade is also important
consideration for the imparting proper
shade
• As it imparts color through the restoration
 Range for natural teeth

• Value in natural teeth 4 - 8

• Chroma in natural teeth 0 - 7

• Hue in natural teeth 6 YR - 9.3YR

 Limitation of shade guide
• Don’t tell about the complete tooth color.

• Shade guide is prepared by different

materials and crowns are of different.

• Problem we face for selecting shade for

porcelain fused to metal crown.
 Shade Mapping
• Tooth is divided into
– Three regions
– Nine segments
• Each region is matched independently
• Further characterizations are sketched
on diagram, may include…
– Craze lines
– Hypo calcifications
– Proximal discolorations
– Translucency
 Summary
• An understanding of the science of color and color perception is
crucial to the success esthetic restorative dentistry.

• Although limitations in materials and techniques may make a

perfect color match impossible, a harmonious restoration can
almost be achieved.

• Shade selection should be approached in a organized manner.

• This will enable the practitioner to make the best choice and
communicate it accurately to the laboratory.
 References
• Contemporary Fixed Prosthodontics Rosenstiel (3rd
edition)
• Esthetics in dentistry Ronald E Goldstein
• Esthetics dentistry; a clinical approach to technique and
materials Barry G Dale, Kenneth W Aschheim
• Esthetic dentistry and ceramic restoration Martin Dunitz
• Tylman’s Theory and practice of FPD
• Natural Color Concept: A Systematic Approach to Visual
Shade Selection Bernhard Egger
• Shade selection By Christopher CK Ho, BDS Hons
(Syd),
 What we say till now is just the tip of
ice berg
Greater knowledge is still awaiting to be
discovered and practiced about
esthetics
Thank You

Have a nice day