IADR Abstract Archives
A New Method to Improve Reproducibility of Tooth Color Assessment
Objectives: Multiple instrumental measures of tooth color can be affected by the difficulty to hold the same position when determining them even using a modern portable digital spectrophotometer. To reduce this bias, it was developed an individual silicon mask to place the instrument reading tip always in the same position and angle on the surface of the tooth thanks to a precisely fitting hole.
Methods: Two tests were planned to evaluate the effect of a customized silicon mask on the variability of multiple measurements of color coordinates (L, a, b) and correlated whitening indexes (WIO, WID). It was examined the intra-operator variability in the values given by a portable digital spectrophotometer (Vita Easyshade Advance 4®) on natural teeth of at least four different Vita® shades with or without the mask at the same time (test 1) or with the mask before and after 2.5 minutes (test 2).
Results: In test 1, the application of this personal silicon mask slightly modified the real color of the tooth but significantly reduced the variability of the measures of color coordinates and the WIO and WID indexes versus the same measures obtained without the mask (Levene’s test <0.01 for the pool of data from different Vita® shades). Moreover, in test 2, there were no significant differences between WIO or WID measured at different times.
Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that the use of an individual silicone mask improves the precision of a portable digital spectrophotometer device for multiple measurements of L, a, b and WIO, WID. Regardless of the real color of the tooth, this method could be useful especially for studies focused on the evaluation of optical whitening treatments, scoring the differences between two measures at different times.
Methods: Two tests were planned to evaluate the effect of a customized silicon mask on the variability of multiple measurements of color coordinates (L, a, b) and correlated whitening indexes (WIO, WID). It was examined the intra-operator variability in the values given by a portable digital spectrophotometer (Vita Easyshade Advance 4®) on natural teeth of at least four different Vita® shades with or without the mask at the same time (test 1) or with the mask before and after 2.5 minutes (test 2).
Results: In test 1, the application of this personal silicon mask slightly modified the real color of the tooth but significantly reduced the variability of the measures of color coordinates and the WIO and WID indexes versus the same measures obtained without the mask (Levene’s test <0.01 for the pool of data from different Vita® shades). Moreover, in test 2, there were no significant differences between WIO or WID measured at different times.
Conclusions: This preliminary study suggests that the use of an individual silicone mask improves the precision of a portable digital spectrophotometer device for multiple measurements of L, a, b and WIO, WID. Regardless of the real color of the tooth, this method could be useful especially for studies focused on the evaluation of optical whitening treatments, scoring the differences between two measures at different times.