Abstract :
Introduction: Aesthetic demands are very high in dentistry, and the color of prosthetic teeth is an important factor in success. Today, despite technological advances, the shade guide is still the most widely used instrument for determining tooth color. During the color selection process, the shade guide meets mucous membranes and saliva, making it a semi-critical material. To avoid any risk of cross-contamination, the shade guide can be sterilized. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of sterilization on the color of ceramic shade guides used in fixed prosthetics.
Materials and Methods : This was a quasi-experimental study. The study population was the sample teeth of the VITA 3D MASTER® shade guide and the VITA CLASSICAL® shade guide, except for the bleaching samples. Brightness, chroma, hue and delta E (?E) were studied. Before and after each cycle of 120 sterilizations, measurements were taken using the VITA EASYSHADE V® Spectrophotometer.
Results: 2 to 2 comparisons of the mean brightness values show statistically significant differences between the two shades. For the same comparison, statistically significant differences were found for the shade and ?E of the VITA 3D MASTER® shade guide.
Conclusion: Sterilization leads to variations in shade guide color. Progressive wear could lead to color changes that are not clinically acceptable and could hinder the esthetic results of prostheses. It would be important to determine the number of sterilization cycles that should not be exceeded when using shade guides.
Keyword :
Color, Aesthetics, shade, Sterilization