Journal of Dental Research, Vol 64, 837-841, Copyright © 1985 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
A new method for matching tooth colors with color standards
T. P. van der Burgt, J. J. ten Bosch, P. C. Borsboom and A. J. Plasschaert
A new method for quantitative intra-oral tooth color determination is
presented. Basically, the tooth color is assessed by visual comparison with
opaque color standards, which are logically arranged according to three
visual color dimensions. The standards were analyzed
spectrophotometrically, and the C.I.E. color coordinates were computed.
Illumination and observation were standardized during the matching
procedure. Two distinct situations, method 1 and method 2, were
investigated. The situation in method 1 is to be considered as large window
illumination and small window collection of the reflected light. For method
2, the same small window was used for both illumination and observation.
Using both methods, the color of a tooth could be quantified into three
separate color dimensions. Using method 1, the consistency among 25
examiners was high in determining the color of ten teeth; using method 2,
the inter-examiner agreement was low. For the same tooth, different color
standards were selected with method 1 or method 2. The standard selected
with method 2 often appeared to be in disagreement within clinical
expectations. The differences in results between method 1 and method 2 are
explained by the optical properties of the translucent dental enamel (e.g.,
volume reflection). Method 1 allows for reproducible quantification of
clinical tooth discoloration according to C.I.E. color specifications and
can possibly be applied in prosthetic dentistry.
