GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF SHADE SELECTION

There are certain principles that should be followed during shade selection. These are

as follows:

The patient should be viewed at the eye level so that the most color-sensitive

part of the retina will be used.

1. Shade comparison should be made under different lighting conditions.

Normally, the patient is taken to a window and the color is confirmed in natural

daylight after initial selection under incandescent and fluorescent lightening.

2. The teeth to be matched should be clean.

3. Shade comparison should be made at the start of the patient visit.

4. Brightly colored clothing should be draped and lipstick should be removed.

5.Shade comparison should be made quickly, with the color samples placed under

the lip directly next to the tooth being matched.

6.The eye should be rested by focusing on a gray-blue surface immediately before a

comparison since this balances all the color sensors of the retina and resensitizes the

eye to the yellow color of the tooth.

Dagg et al. (2004) investigated some of the factors on which accurate shade taking

depends. Four main factors were investigated, namely, the difference between the

two types of porcelain used, the effect of light quality, the effect of porcelain

thickness and the experience of the observer. These results indicate that the most

influential factor on shade taking was the light quality. 6