Evaluation of the color-matching of universal-shade resin composites to human extracted enamel

The restoration of esthetics in dental treatment is essential for patient satisfaction, and accurate color reproduction is critical. Universal-shade resin composites, which eliminate the need for shade selection, have attracted attention; however, their color-matching ability to natural enamel remains unclear. This study evaluated the color-matching of universal-shade resin composites to human enamel compared with conventional A2-shade resin composites and investigated the direction of hue changes. Universal-shade resin composites and conventional A2-shade resin composites were placed on flattened human enamel surfaces with glycerin, and color changes were measured. No significant differences in L* values were observed among groups. The a* values significantly decreased in the OMNICHROMA Flow and DP-022 M flow groups, while b* values decreased in all groups except Clearfil Majesty ES Flow (A2). These findings suggest that the color-matching performance of universal-shade resin composites varies depending on the material.