Shade selection. Communicating with the laboratory technician

Shade selection for anterior crowns has always set up a communications problem between the dentist and laboratory technician. Over the years, many different techniques have been formulated to help overcome the problem. These techniques include picture taking, drawing diagrams and using multiple porcelain shade guides. However, they have not completely erased the difficulty of communicating the choice of the proper shade of an anterior crown. This was especially true in the 1990's when all-ceramic crowns were introduced. Popular techniques dentists use for communicating shade selections will be reviewed, along with guidelines for making the proper selection. Many dentists are familiar only with the techniques they were taught in dental school and/or residency program and are unaware of the superior methods that can be used. This type of review can be extremely helpful to restorative dentists.