Tooth Color Selection

One of the most important issues that the dentist and dental technician should pay attention to when making a dental veneer is that the color of the tooth to be made is compatible with the color of the other teeth in the mouth. The color of the veneer should match the color of the existing teeth. The effects on natural teeth should also be applied to the veneer surfaces. Otherwise, a dental veneer will look artificial even at first glance.

Often, even the color of the natural teeth in the mouth can be different from each other. Even if the individual color and surface features are different, the color of the teeth is generally compatible with each other.

Canine Teeth are Darker

Especially the canine teeth, known as canine teeth, are slightly darker or yellowish. The fact that the canine teeth are slightly darker prevents them from standing out in the mouth. Because canines are bulky and in the corner, they are slightly darker in color, so they don’t stand out as much.

Lower Teeth Are Also Darker

The color of the lower teeth is also slightly darker than the upper teeth. The reason for this is both the lack of physiologically adequate cleaning and the fact that food deposits are held more in the lower jaw. In addition, the smaller teeth in the lower jaw cause them to appear darker in the mouth because they reflect more light.

Color Scale

The reference taken into account when choosing the color at the dentist is the worldwide color scale called “VITA SCALE”. Vita, the world’s most widely used porcelain powder manufacturer, has a ranking system based on shades A, B, C, D, and the appropriate shades of natural teeth in one color scale.

The natural color changes over time with external factors such as tea, coffee and cigarettes used by the person. On the other hand, we know that tooth color and chemical structure change with aging.

If an application such as filling or coating will be applied on the teeth visible during speech and laughter, it should be compatible with the color of the existing teeth in the mouth. In tooth color selection, teeth should be made in harmony with the color tone of natural teeth.

Veneers that look like natural teeth are made by choosing tooth color and imitating surface features. It is impossible to distinguish these veneers from one’s own teeth.

Before Choosing Tooth Color

Before choosing a tooth color, dirt and stains on the teeth should be removed. Dental calculus is cleaned and tooth surfaces are polished. After the surfaces of the teeth are cleaned, the color of the filling or coating is determined according to the resulting tooth color. For this reason, it is recommended to have the teeth cleaned periodically. Otherwise, for example, the surface of a zirconium crown will not yellow, but the surface of a natural tooth will.

Points to be considered when taking color:

The most important issue is to take the color under natural light. In an environment with artificial light, the color cannot be taken correctly. The color received under fluorescent or fluorescent lighting may look different later in daylight. This is why there is lighting that imitates daylight. To get natural color, it is necessary to take color under daylight or daylight bulbs. Color perception is different in every person. As our ancestors said, “colors are indisputable”. After the physician chooses the color he deems appropriate, he should definitely share it with the patient and get his opinion.

Tooth Color Analyzer, Spectrometer

Computer-aided color analysis devices have been designed and manufactured to take tooth color. With color devices called spectrometers, tooth color can be measured with a high degree of accuracy. However, the most precise coloring is when the dental technician determines the color of the veneer by seeing the teeth in the mouth. It is possible to simulate the ratio in which the colors will mix with each other and the surface properties. In our clinic, if necessary, the laboratory technician takes and applies the tooth color himself.

Color Selection for Front Tooth Veneers

It is recommended that the color of the teeth be compatible with the natural tooth color, especially when aesthetic veneer application is performed on the anterior region teeth. For patients who want a lighter shade than the natural color, there are advanced white tooth colors that show the whitened tooth shades within the color scale.

Patient, Physician and Technician Should Decide Together for the Right Color Selection

Finding a tooth color that suits the person’s skin color, eye color and hair color is extremely important for the teeth in the mouth to look natural. Since tooth color does not only consist of mechanical and numerical figures, it is of great importance that the technician adds his/her own artistic creativity to the application and imitates the natural teeth in your mouth.

Social status, occupation, wishes and expectations are other factors that influence the choice of color. Choosing the right tooth color, which makes aesthetics successful to a great extent, as well as features such as function and chewing during the veneering of teeth, will only be possible with the cooperation of “patient, physician and technician”.

In our clinic, color determination is made at the rehearsal stage for the teeth to be applied to the patients, and the veneers are bonded permanently after obtaining the patient’s approval.