Color Science, Esthetics,

And Shade Selection

Presented by
Dr. Vivek Lath
MDS Prosthodontics
Associate Professor
 Definition
According to GPT-8, the color is defined
as, a phenomenon of light or visual
perception that enables one to differentiate
otherwise identical objects. The quality of
an object or substance with respect to light
reflected or transmitted by it. Color is
usually determined visually measurement
of Hue, Brightness and luminous
reflectance of the reflected light.
 Esthetics and shade
In dentistry ,Esthetics could be defined as the
science of copying or harmonizing our work with
nature and rendering inconspicuous our art.
According to GPT-8 shade is defined as; a term
used to describe a particular hue, or variation of
a primary hue such as a greenish shade of
yellow. 2; a term used to describe a mixture with
black ( or gray) as opposed to a tint that is a
mixture with white.
 Introduction
As earlier mentioned color science,
Science consist of knowing, and art
consist of doing. If the dentist is
familiar with the facts of light, color
and lighting and vision, he will
possess knowledge that can aid him
in overcoming the obstacle that are
ever present in his profession.
 Light and color
without light color does
not exist.
Scientifically, light is
described as visible
electro-magnetic energy.
the eye is sensitive only
to the visible part of the
electro-magnetic
spectrum, a narrow band
with wavelength of 380 to
750 nm.
 color rendering Index
The CRI is on a scale of 1 to 100, indicates how
well a particular light source renders color as
compared to a specific standard source.
Northern daylight, which can be close to full-
spectrum white light and often is used as the ‘‘
Normal’’ standard for judging light from other
source.
Northern daylight around the noon hour on a
bright day is considered ideal because there is a
harmonious balance of the full visible spectrum.
 CRI Contd.
Incident day light at dawn and dusk is rich in yellow and
orange but lacking in blue and green.
Bergen and McCasland have reported that two
commercially available, color-corrected fluorescent tubes
are acceptable full-spectrum source with a CRI of >90.
Another light source reference standard is color
temperature, which is related to the color of a standard
black body when heated.
Northern daylight has a average CT of ~6500 Degree K.,
1000K is red. 2000K is yellow; 5555K is white; 8000K is
pale blue.
 Perception Of Color
Perception of color is both subjective and
objective phenomenon.
Our perception of color is accepted as
subjective.
Perception depends on; Light source, the
surface viewed, the individual observer,
surrounding color, the angle of observation, light
and dark adaptation, size of field of view, length
of exposure of the specimen to eye, aging ,
emotional status at that time, previous exposure
of the eye and metamerism.
Light source and perceived color
The most common light
source in dental offices are
incandescent and
fluorescent, neither of which
are pure white light. An
ordinary incandescent light
bulb emits relatively higher
concentration of yellow light
waves than of blue and blue
green, whereas fluorescent
tube emits relatively high
conc. of blue waves.
Surface viewed and perceived
color
An analysis of surface viewed is accomplished
with the spectrophotometer. this instrument
breaks down a standard light source in to a
series of sequential monochromatic beams that
are then directed on to the surface in question.
The percentage of reflectance as compared with
the total amount of light incident on the surface
at any given W-L across the visible spectrum is
recorded. These spectral reflectance curves
provide one of the most useful tools available for
evaluating the colors to be matched.
Surface reflectance curves
 Individual Observer and
perceived color
The interplay of the light
source on the surface creates
a message or stimulus to the
eye (or photocell) which
evaluates a color.
This graph shows luminosity
function of the average eye. It
shows how the observer with
normal vision sees the spectral
colors as varying from dim red,
through bright red, orange,
yellow, bright yellow-green,
and blue, to dim violet.
Individual observer and perceived color contd.
The brightest part of the equal energy spectrum is seen
between W-Ls of 540 and 570nm.( yellowish green), and
from this point, the brightness progressively diminishes
in both directions.
For a person with defective color vision, the plot showing
perception would vary ( be distorted) depending on the type of
anomaly. the response is determined br the rods and cones of
the retina.
The dentist should have their color perception tested to rule
out type of color blindness; Achromatism– complete lack of
hue sensitivity; Dichromatism – sensitivity to only two primary
hue, lacking red or green; Trichromatism- sensitive to all three
hues with deficiency of one of the three primary pigment in the
retinal cones.
Eye and color perception
Under low lighting conditions, only the rods are used
(scotopic vision). These receptors allow and
interpretation of the brightness( but not the color) of
objects to be made. They are most sensitive to blue-
green objects.
color vision is dependent on the cones, which are active
under higher lighting conditions ( photopic vision). the
change from photopic to scotopic vision is called Dark
Adaptation. central field of vision is, having only cones, is
more color perceptive.
Individual Observer And
Metamerism
According to GPT-8, metamerism is defined as; a pair of
objects whose colors match in a given lighting condition
but which do not match if the viewing cond. are changed.
Thus a metameric pair of samples exhibit the same tri-
stimulus values for a described set of viewing conditions
(observer light source, geometry of the illumination and
viewing arrangement) but have different spectral
distributions.
To cause metamerism, two surfaces must be involved,
and the key to whether metamerism will be a problem
lies in the analysis of the spectrophotometric curve of the
surface.
This means that a samples that appears to match under
the operatory light, for E.g.. may no longer be
satisfactory in day light. The problem of metamerism can
be avoided by selecting a shade and conforming it under
different lighting conditions ( E.g. natural day light and
fluorescent light).
Requesting information from the manufacturer
concerning the curves of his product to facilitate
comparison with those of natural enamel can help in
eliminating those products with built-in metameric traps.
Spectrophotometric curve of natural enamel (+) porcelain
(o) and acrylic resin.
 Color adaptation and color
perception
color vision decreases rapidly as an object is
observed. The original color appears to become
less and less saturated until it appears almost
gray. simultaneously, the chroma of
complementary colors appears greater. Thus the
shade selection can be enhanced if operatory
walls are painted pale blue (complementary to
yellow) or that a pale gray-blue surface should
be seen at periodically while viewing color
choice.
 Surrounding colors And
Deceptive color perception
Color is also influenced by surrounding
colors particularly complementary once for
E.g. when blue and yellow are placed side
by side, their chroma may appear to be
increased. The color of teeth can also look
different if the Pt. is wearing brightly
colored clothing or lipstick.
 Fluorescence and color
perception
Fluorescent materials ,such as tooth
enamel, re-emit radiant energy at a lower
frequency than it is absorbed. For e.g., U-
V. radiation is re-emitted as visible light. A
mismatch can occur if the dental
restoration has different fluorescence than
the natural tooth.
 Opalescence and color
perception
natural teeth, particularly at their incisal
edges, exhibit a light-scattering effect that
creates the appearance of bluish-white
colors as the teeth are seen at different
angles. this is similar to the bluish- white
background seen in opal gemstones( this
explains the term opalescence).
manufacturers try to match this effect
when formulating dental porcelains.
 Description of color
Forty years ago Clark said ,”color, like form, has three
dimensions but they are not in general use.
As early as 1611 color was presented as a three
dimensional entity by Sigfrid Forsius.
Just as a solid body can be described by three
dimensions of physical form ( Length width and
depth), color has three primary attributes that
allow it to be described with the same precision.
describing three attributes, however, depends
on the color system used
Munsell color order system
Munsell assumed color as a solid cylinder. the relationship of
one color to another become apparent when the organization
of the colors within three dimensional solid is understood.
A colorless or achromatic axis extends through the center of
the cylinder, pure white at the top, pure black at the bottom. A
series of grays, progressing from black to white in equal visual
steps, connects these extremities.
colors(hues) are arranged around this axis, and within each
hue, the colors are arranged in scales according to their
lightness / darkness ( Value) and their purity or strength
(chroma). Light colors are toward the top of the cylinder; Dark
colors are toward the bottom.
The colors are purest on the outer skin of the cylinder, and
they become progressively grayer as they approach the gray
value axis.
Munsell color system showing 3-d spatial arrangement of
hue ,value and chroma
The cylinder may be considered as a series of
wheels stacked one upon the other, each wheel
of ascending lightness as we progress to the top
of the cylinder.
The hub of each wheel represents the value axis. The
hues are arranged sequentially around the rim. The
spokes represent the gradations of chroma from the
colorless axis to the purest hues at the rim.
As technology permits the creations purer colors,they
can easily be added to the periphery.
 Dimensions Of Color
Hue-- Hue is defined as the particular variety of color,
or tint . the hue of an object can be red, green, yellow,
and so on, and is determined by the W-L of the reflected
and /or transmitted light absorbed.
In the Munsell color system, hues are divided in to 10
gradation; yellow, yellow –red, red, red-purple, purple,
purple-blue, blue, blue-green, green and green- yellow.
These are arranged in a wheel. Each gradation is further
subdivided, for E.g. 1r, 2r ------10r, followed by
1Yr,2yr------10yr.
 Hue contd.
Most natural teeth fall
in to a range between
yellow and yellow-red.
O’Brien et al. found
that the average hue
was 1.2 for the
gingival 1/3rd, 1.3y for
the middle third and
1.4y for the incisal
third.
 Chroma
Chroma is defined as the
intensity of a hue. The
term saturation and
chroma are used
interchangeably in the
dental literature, both
mean the strength of a
given hue or the
concentration of pigment.
Adding a gray always
reduces the chroma and
will not affect hue.
 Chroma contd.
In Munsell color system,
maximum chroma depends on
the particular hue but can
range from 10 to 14.
Achromatic shades have a
chroma near 0. Natural teeth
are found with chroma ranges
from 0.5 to 4.
The overall format in common
usage is denoted by ( H
V/C ).The H is preceded by a
number to indicate the precise
subdivision of the hue E.g. 5R
4/14, 1.5R 4/8, 5.5YR 2/8.
 Value
Value is defined as relative lightness or darkness of a
color of a color or the brightness of an object.
The brightness of any object is a direct consequence of
the amount of light energy the object reflects or
transmits.
Light energy is measured in photons, and it is possible
for objects of different hues to reflect the same no. of
photons and thus have the same brightness or value. a
common example is the difficulty experienced in trying to
tell a green from a blue object in a black and white
photograph
 Value
The value of a color is determined by which gray on the
value scale it matches in lightness /darkness.
The black of the value scale is assigned a value of zero,
the white a value of 10. An infinite No. of gradations of
gray is possible as we go from black to white, but only
nine value( gray) steps are used in the Munsell system.
in the Munsell method of describing color, value is
divided into 10 gradations, with 0 being black and 10
being white. natural teeth range in value from 5.5 to 8.5.
color of high value would be transmitted as light gray and
those of low value as dark gray, regardless of the hue or
chroma.
 Value selection
By squinting, the observer can reduce the
amount of light that reaches the retina.
Stimulation of the cones is reduced, and a
greater sensitivity to achromatic conditions
may result. Whiles squinting, the observer
concentrates on which disappears from
sight first-the tooth or the shade tab. The
one that fade first has the lower Value.
 CIELAB Color System
It is determined by the Commission Internationale de
I’Eclairage in 1978.
In both the Munsell and the CIELAB color order system,
the location in the color space of a particular shade is
determined by the three coordinate; value, Hue and
chroma for Munsell; L*, a*,and b* for CIELAB.
In Munsell, the color is identified by one polar coordinate
( Hue) and one linear coordinate ( Chroma ); while in
CILAB both coordinate ( a* & b*) are linear. However
unlike Munsell, the CILAB coordinate define the color
space in approximately uniform steps of human color
perception.
 Esthetics
Esthetics is the study of beauty. esthetics is often
primary motivating factor for Pt. to seek dental care.
Infact, correction of esthetic problems has a positive
effect on self-esteem.
Anatomy of a smile- Computer-manipulated images of
various smiles and having them graded for
attractiveness. such research is quantified in the
standard dental esthetics index (DAI),
In general, an extensive smile that showed the complete
outline of the maxillary anterior teeth and teeth posterior
to the first molar was considered the most attractive and
youthful. In smile that were considered the most
attractive ,the incisal edges of the maxillary teeth were
parallel to the lower lip.
 Proportion and esthetics
Esthetics depends largely on proportion.
development of everything in nature is in proportion.
Their growth is closely related to mathematical
progression (called the Fibonacci series) in which each
number is some of the two immediately preceding it
( I.e.,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,89,144, and so on ). The
ratio between succeeding terms converges on
approximately 1.618 to 1, known as the Golden
proportion.
When a line is bisected in the golden proportion, the ratio
of the smaller section to larger section is the same as the
ratio of the larger section to the whole line.
Balance, Midline and Esthetics
If something is out of balance, the brain
infers that there is an unreciprocated force
and the arrangement is unstable. the
observer expects the Lt. & Rt. sides of the
mouth to balance out.
Studied have shown that the mean
threshold for acceptable dental midline
deviation is 2.2/ -1.5mm.
 Shade selection
The following guidelines must follow;
The Pt. should be viewed at eye level so that most color-
sensitive part of the retina will be used.
Shade comparison should be made under different
lighting conditions.
teeth increases in value when they are dry.
Brightly colored clothing should be draped and lipstick
removed. operatory wall should not be brightly painted .
The eye should be rested by focusing on gray-blue
surface immediately before a comparison. this
resensitizes the retina to yellow color of the tooth and
balances all the color sensors of the retina.
Shade distribution Chart
Thank You