[The influence of toothguide training box on shade matching veracity]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of toothguide training box(TTB) on shade matching veracity, and compare the differences of influence on shade matching veracity of tabs of shadeguide and on that of tabs out of shadeguide.

31 graduated students who had 1 to 5-year clinical experience without color blindness were trained by TTB once a week for 3 weeks. Elapsed time and scores from the training system were recorded each time. And everyone was tested by 29 tabs of Vita 3D-Master shadeguide and 7 tabs out of Vita 3D-Master shadeguide before the first training as the base line and tested again after the last training as the test after training. SPSS 10.0 software package was used for analysis. The variances of scores and elapsed time were analyzed by ANOVA, and the differences of veracity between tabs of shadeguide and that of tabs out of shadeguide by Wilcoxon signed ranks test.

The scores of the tests were rising via training. There was significant difference (P<0.01) between the first (900.29+/-51.68) and the third training (933.81+/-32.94). The elapsed time was turning shorter via training. There is significant difference (P<0.01) between the first [(46.29+/-13.29)min] and the second training [(32.68+/-8.81)min], and also between the first and the third training (30.00+/-7.07)min. The veracity of test after training was higher than the veracity of base line. A significant difference (P<0.01) of shade matching veracity was demonstrated between base line and test after training in both tabs of shadeguide (60.37%+/-18.33%,46.08%+/-22.04%) and the total (37.10%+/-11.58%,28.34%+/-11.73%), but that difference in tabs out of shadeguide (13.82+/-14.98%,10.60%+/-11.65%) was not significant(P>0.01).

TTB can improve the shade matching ability of prosthodontists, but has limited influence on the shade matching ability of tabs out of shadeguide.