Digital Shade Matching in Dentistry: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Dental Aesthetics
• Digital Dentistry
• Restorative Procedures

Background:

• Conventional dental shade matching faces challenges like shade guide variability and subjective interpretation.
• Emerging digital non-proximity instruments offer potential solutions for precise shade matching.
• Societal trends and technological advancements drive the need for improved aesthetic dentistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify digital non-proximity recording instruments and their associated color spaces in dentistry.
• To compare the clinical outcomes of digital shade matching systems with spectrophotometers and conventional visual methods.
• To synthesize current literature on the efficacy of advanced dental shade matching technologies.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review adhering to PRISMA protocols.
• Searches conducted on Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases (updated October 2023).
• Inclusion of 85 articles, with 33 analyzed using a PICO model for clinical comparisons; Cohen's kappa used for inter-reviewer reliability.

Main Results:

• The CIELAB color space was utilized in 42% of the reviewed studies.
• Non-proximity digital instruments showed more consistent clinical outcomes compared to visual methods.
• Digital instruments demonstrated efficacy comparable to spectrophotometers under controlled conditions.

Conclusions:

• Digital non-proximity instruments show promise for improving the accuracy and consistency of dental shade matching.
• Technological advancements are reshaping dental shade matching, necessitating continued research and methodological rigor.
• Further high-quality studies are needed to fully establish the clinical benefits of digital shade matching systems.