Aesthetics is very closely related to dentistry. Infact,
most procedures performed in dentistry are related to beautifying the smile.
Therefore it is of utmost importance that proper shade matching between the
artificial restoration and the natural tooth be accomplished. The old treatment
modalities where the restoration did not match with the tooth color have been
completely replaced with their cosmetic versions. For example the silver
fillings have been replaced by tooth colored cosmetic fillings, Metal crowns
have been replaced by Zirconia crowns, Metal inlays/onlays with ceramic inlays/onlays
just to name a few.
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| Conventional Shade Guide |
Tooth Color and Cosmetic Dentistry
When dealing with Cosmetic Dentistry cases
particularly the restorations of front teeth, there is no room for error. Even
a slightest shade discrepancy is unacceptable and will become the cause of
failure of the case. On the other hand, dental restorations with perfect color
match with the natural teeth instills a confidence in the patient
Now dental restorations are available in
different shades to match with the individual tooth shade. Earlier the shade
matching was arbitrarily done- by simply comparing the shade of the patient’s
tooth with the shade guide. Now this color matching could be very deceptive
depending upon whether the shade selection was done in natural/artificial
light, Intensity of brightness of the light, color of light, and of course the
error caused by human eye.
Digital shade Guides
To account for all these shortcomings,
conventional shade guides have been replaced by digital shade guides. The
advantages of using digital shade guides are numerous:
· The technology produces precise and reproducible tooth shade determination in matter of seconds
· Objective and reliable measurements, due to the LED technology that is unaffected by ambient conditions
· The shade determination readings are reliable and economical
· Simple and intuitive, thanks to the easy-to-use touchscreen and software
· Efficient, digital communication for exchanging information about tooth shade and images between the dental practice and the laboratory
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