COSMETIC SHADE MATCHING:

How A Dentist Color-Matches

Do you have crowns that do not match your natural teeth? One of the most difficult cosmetic procedures in any dental office is matching the shade of a new veneer or crown to a patient’s natural teeth. This is the result of a method of shade matching that is over 50 years old, and most dentists still use this same technique. You’ve probably seen the dentist or assistant holding up a shade guide which has plastic “teeth” of various colors and trying to match your teeth to one of them. Often with very little success due to the variables that affect the ultimate cosmetics of the crown such as:

• The lighting in the dental treatment room.
• The lighting in the laboratory.
• The “eyes” of the dentist or assistant.
• Frequently the patient’s teeth may not match any of the shading chips.

Teeth are not one color. Often there are variations where one section of the tooth is a different color than other areas. To match perfectly, these characterizations must be reproduced in the final crown or veneer.

Pictured to the left: The old crown on patient’s right side does not match the color or characterization of her natural teeth.

Our dental office in Westchester County, NY is dedicated to ultimate esthetics using every new technology available. We use a computerized shading system (As Seen Below) that eliminates the difficulties in matching your new restoration.

With this system the color of your teeth is scanned into the computer by the same sophisticated colorimeter used in the industry, including all of the natural variations and characterizations. The information is then emailed to DaVinci Dental Laboratory (our office is part of the “Extreme Team” as seen on ABC-TV’s “Extreme Makeover”) where the skilled ceramist uses the same software to reproduce your natural teeth in porcelain.

The result is a spectacular color match that you will be proud to smile about!