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With a move in contemporary restorative dentistry towards the provision of tooth-coloured restorations, the ability of the clinical team to achieve imperceptible shade matching between the (direct or indirect) restorative material and the dental hard tissues is highly desirable. The present article provides an overview of the physics of light, and how colours are perceived by the human eye. It then discusses the factors that affect the optical properties of natural teeth and dental restorative materials alike, and provides tips on how the clinician can achieve best results when ‘taking the shade.’
CPD/Clinical Relevance: The art of shade matching is a fundamental clinical skill in restorative dentistry to ensure that the best possible aesthetic outcome is achieved.
Article
Modern tooth-coloured restorative materials, especially those to be used in the aesthetic zone, must have the ability to mimic the dental hard tissues in terms of optical properties to satisfy patient and professional demand for high-quality imperceptible restorations. Accurate colour matching remains one of the most challenging tasks in clinical dentistry. In order to achieve the most predictable aesthetic outcomes, it is essential to have a detailed understanding of the fundamental optical properties of natural teeth and those tooth-coloured dental materials employed to restore lost dental hard tissue. The present article, the first in a series of three, concentrates on the interaction between visible light and natural dental tissues, and how the human eye may perceive this interaction. Furthermore, it will offer some general practical advice and tips on how to achieve best results especially when taking a shade in the aesthetic zone.
Visible light is electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nm. If light is transmitted through an optical prism, the light is refracted, varying with the wavelength of the light, thus white light is split into its constituent colours. Blue light has a shorter wavelength and a higher refractive index than red light, i.e. it deviates more (Figure 1).
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