Research Information System University of Greifswald

Prause E*, Hannak W, Nicic R, Jakstat H, Boening K, Klinke T¹

1 - Zentrum für Zahn-, Mund- und Kieferheilkunde / Poliklinik für Zahnärztliche Prothetik, Alterszahnheilkunde und Medizinische Werkstoffkunde

Background: Visual color determination belongs to everydays routine in dental practice. How-ever, it is not a part of dental education so far. The aim of this study was to evaluate if digital tooth shade determination is a useful method for determining 3D-printed teeth compared to visual shade determination performed by instructed but unexperienced operators. Methods: Preclinical dental students evaluated eleven 3D-printed, tooth–shaped samples (VarseoSmile Crown plus, BEGO, Bremen, Germany) of different color shades. Visual shade de-termination using a reference scale (3D-Master Toothguide (3DM_TG), VITA Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany) followed by a digital color determination using a spectrophotometer (VITA Easyshade V, (ES_V), VITA Zahnfabrik) was performed. Color deviation was calculated in the Lab* color space (ΔE) and converted into CIELAB 2000. The results were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U-test and the Wilcoxon Rank Sum test (α=0.05). Results: Significant differences between visual and digital color determination were proven (p < 0.001). Visual color determination (3DM_TG) showed a mean deviation (ΔE00 ±95%CI) of 6.49 ±0.47. Digital color determination (ES_V) showed significantly lower mean deviations of ΔE00 of 1.44 ±0.58. Conclusions: Digital color measurement using a spectrophotometer showed reliable results re-garding color determination of 3D-printed teeth for unexperienced operators than visible shade determination.