Accuracy of Color Determination by Intraoral Scanners in Bleached and Unbleached Teeth: A Clinical Study

This clinical study aimed to evaluate the color measurement ability of intraoral scanners (Trios 3, (3Shape, Copenhagen, Denmark) and Cerec Omnicam, (Dentsply Sirona, Charlotte, NC, USA) in comparison to VITA Classical and VITA 3D-Master shades obtained by a spectrophotometer (Easyshade V, VITA, Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany).

Four hundred eighty teeth from thirty patients were included in the study. Fifteen patients had never undergone bleaching, and the other fifteen had undergone professional bleaching within the last 6 months. VITA Classical and VITA 3D Master shades were determined using Trios 3 (T3), Cerec Omnicam (CO), and EasyShade V from cervical, middle, and incisal/occlusal areas of maxillary and mandibular central and lateral incisors, canines, and first premolars. Color accuracy rates (cAR) were assessed by categorizing the color data according to the Munsell color system for bleached and unbleached teeth, maxillary and mandibular, and teeth arranged from anterior to posterior in each quadrant. McNemar, Mann-Whitney U, and Wilcoxon tests and Point Biserial Correlation Analysis were used for statistical analysis (significance level α=0.050).

The bleached teeth had a significantly higher cAR for T3 in VITA 3D Master and VITA Classical guides (p<0.05). The cAR of the incisal area in VITA 3D Master was significantly lower in both scanners (p<0.05) except for the lightness/hue/chroma of bleached teeth. T3 cAR increased statistically significantly from anterior to posterior (p<0.001); however, no significant difference was found for CO (p=0.482).

The color accuracy rates of both scanners for shade guides that included all color components in this study were below 30%, which was not clinically satisfactory for color measurement. Confirming the measurements with a spectrophotometer is recommended.