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Colour perception screening and shade-matching performance among undergraduate dental students: an exploratory
1School of Dentistry. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. sergitorne@ub.edu.
BDJ Open
|July 14, 2026
Summary
Shade-matching discrepancies are common in dental students, regardless of color vision deficiency. This highlights the need for structured training in color science and shade selection for dental education.
Area of Science:
- Dental Restorations
- Prosthodontics
- Color Science
Background:
- Visual shade selection is crucial in dentistry but prone to variability.
- The link between color perception and shade-matching skills in dental students is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate color perception and shade-matching performance in dental students.
- Utilized Ishihara test and practical shade-selection tasks for assessment.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of 80 dental students (4th/5th year).
- Assessed color perception with Ishihara test.
- Evaluated shade-matching via practical tasks (tab pairing, crown shade selection).
Main Results:
- 2.5% showed Ishihara findings for color vision deficiency; more had isolated errors.
- Frequent shade-matching discrepancies occurred in practical tasks.
- Ophthalmological conditions correlated with more discrepancies (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
- Shade-matching discrepancies are prevalent in dental students, not solely linked to color vision deficiency.
- Emphasizes the need for structured training in color science and shade selection.
- Recommends further research with standardized perceptual and instrumental methods.
