Dawson Quick Tip: 3 Criteria for Selecting Shade for Restorations

Hi. I’m Scott Finley with The Dawson Academy, with a quick tip that will give you something to consider when you’re selecting shades for you restorations.

The first thing I’d like you to think about is the management of the light that is in the environment that you’re selecting the shade.

The ambient lighting will certainly the wavelength that is then received back to the observers’ eyes. So we can determine whether or not the color truly is true, in a full spectrum lighting.

The second aspect to consider is to pick the value first.

We know of the elements of color, that the value is the most important element of shade. And if we can nail the value, we have a little more latitude in both the chroma and the hue, in trying to make a restoration visible blend with the surrounding dentition.

The third aspect is to think three-dimensionally.

We have to realize that teeth are built in layers. From the dentin to the enamel, with different varying levels of translucency. And if you consider that, or if you train your eye in that way, I think you’ll be more succesful in creating beautiful smiles.