Digital Photographic Procedure for Comprehensive Two-Dimensional Tooth Shade Analysis

Current commercially available restorative materials vary in their esthetic properties, depending on brand and shade. Variations are related not only to basic color parameters such as hue, chroma, and value, but also to other important properties that affect the overall esthetic restorative outcome, such as opalescence, fluorescence, translucency, and metamerism. Fluorescence and bluish opalescence, though associated with the ingredients and chemical composition of the material, may be controlled and refined by a proper layering technique if that pretreatment analysis has been performed with the aid of appropriate photographic techniques. Digital cameras and dental photography have long been imperative tools for clinicians in their daily practice. Traditionally, digital photography has been used for recordkeeping, documentation, presentation, and informing patients of their oral status before and after treatment. Today, evolved techniques facilitate clinicians' ability to compare the esthetic properties of restorative materials with those of natural teeth for delivery of natural-looking restorations. Moreover, documentation obtained before and after restoration may be used for more comprehensive information for the patient.