A clinical study to evaluate the reliability of light‑correcting devices in clinical shade selection

Abstract

Background: Visual and advanced instrumental methods are the most common tools for shade
selection. The instrumental methods are considered reliable and provide quantifiable values, but
the high cost puts them out of the reach of most dentists. Light‑correcting devices provide an
economical alternative for clinical shade selection. The aim of this study was to assess the reliability
of the light‑correcting device in clinical shade selection.
Materials and Methods: The in vivo experimental prospective study sample included 60
volunteers aged 18–25 years, with no severe enamel pigmentation or anomaly in anterior
maxillary teeth. Two observers performed visual shade matching of the maxillary right central
incisor without a light‑correcting device and later with a light‑correcting device at the same
time of the day at an interval of 1 week. The shades were confirmed with the control value
obtained by using a spectrophotometer. Each observer was blinded to the shade color selected
by the other examiner. The data collected were subjected to the statistical analysis. The shade
measured with the light‑correcting device and without its use was compared with the control
shade obtained by the spectrophotometer. The value closer to the control shade value was
considered accurate, and the method used for shade matching would be considered reliable.
The Fleiss kappa statistical test was used to assess the reliability of each method. P ≤ 0.05 was
considered statistically significant.
Results: Using a light‑correcting device significantly increased the reliability of the visual shade
selection method. When compared to the shades recorded by the spectrophotometer (control),
the use of a light‑correcting device as an aid in visual shade selection showed more accurate and
reliable results as compared to the visual shade selection without a light‑correcting device (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Light‑correcting devices can assist in reliable shade selection and allow better
communication with the dental laboratory technician to provide predictable esthetic results.
Key Words: Color, dental enamel, esthetic

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Nirmal Kurian: Pubmed,Google Scholar