Performance of five commercially available tooth color-measuring devices

Area of Science:

• Dental materials science
• Colorimetry
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Visual tooth color assessment is subjective and lacks accuracy.
• Objective color measurement using electronic devices is emerging in dentistry.
• Evaluating the performance of these devices in both lab and clinical settings is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the accuracy and precision of five commercial tooth color-measuring devices.
• To compare device performance in standardized (in vitro) and clinical (in vivo) environments.
• To determine the reliability of electronic tooth color measurement for dental applications.

Main Methods:

• Five electronic devices (ShadeScan, Easyshade, Ikam, IdentaColor II, ShadeEye) were tested.
• In vitro: Vita Lumin shade tabs measured five times by two operators.
• In vivo: 25 dental students' central incisors measured by one operator.
• Color differences (DeltaE) analyzed using CIE L*a*b* values and statistical tests.

Main Results:

• No significant difference between operators in vitro.
• In vitro precision ranking: Easyshade > ShadeScan ≈ Ikam > IdentaColor II > ShadeEye.
• In vivo precision: Easyshade & Ikam most precise; ShadeEye & IdentaColor II more precise than ShadeScan.
• In vivo accuracy: No statistical difference between ShadeScan, Ikam, Easyshade; IdentaColor II inaccurate (DeltaE(a)= 3.4).

Conclusions:

• Easyshade and Ikam systems are the most reliable in clinical settings.
• Other devices showed higher reliability in vitro compared to in vivo.
• Electronic devices show potential for objective tooth color determination, but clinical validation is key.