Shade Selection

Author: Dr. Alison Vitelli, DMD

Tooth shade selection is a very interesting and fun process during our patient’s appointments. There are three main characteristics of the science of color: hue, chroma and value. Hue is the actual color, for example, red, green, blue, etc. Chroma can be described as the intensity of that color, as to how pure the color is. And the value refers to how light or dark a color is. With that in mind we move ahead and determine the shade of teeth. Some teeth shades are more yellow, while others are more grey. And among these, we can differentiate on how light or dark it is. During the process of selecting the right shade for the fillings, crowns and dentures, we attempt to pick the shade that blends the best with the rest of the natural teeth. The best shade is that one that makes the restorations look natural and not be highlighted from the rest of the dentition. When selecting the best shade we try to allow enough natural light in the room and also the blue color of the dental bib provides a background that relaxes the eye which both will provide a more accurate selection of the shades. Our patient’s opinion is always asked during the selection of the right shade, we do love to hear what your preferences are!