Dental prophylaxis influence in tooth color assessment—Clinical study

Objective To evaluate dental prophylaxis influence in tooth color assessment with the use of different methods. Materials and methods Volunteers were consecutively recruited and screened according to appropriate inclusion/exclusion criteria. Each participant's upper right central incisive and canine color was measured before and after dental prophylaxis with a one-week interval. Tooth color assessment was performed by calibrated operators and the patient using a VITA Classical shade guide and by spectrophotometric methods with a proper device (SpectroShade). Color was reported as mean with SD of Commission Internationale De l'Eclairage (CIE) L*a*b* values, ΔEab and ΔE00. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc were performed to assess differences between methods and paired t test for assessing differences in tooth color coordinates after dental prophylaxis. Values of P < .05 were taken as significant. Results Fifty patients were included. Self-assessed dental prophylaxis effects equated to a significantly different mean ΔE00 value of 2.3 ± 1.7 (P < .01), when compared to the calibrated operator reported 0.8 ± 1.1 and the spectrophotometer 1.0 ± 0.5. Half of volunteer's ΔE00 values surpassed the acceptability threshold, when compared to 28% from investigator and 10% from spectrophotometer. Conclusion Performing a dental prophylaxis did have an influence in tooth color perception with a higher self-perceived effect in the patient assessment. Clinical significance The results of this study suggest that performing professional dental prophylaxis presented a perceived effect in tooth color regardless of the method used being that patients precepted whiter and less yellowish teeth. Since extrinsic stain is considered as one of the factors that could influence tooth color assessment, performing professional dental prophylaxis prior to composite or ceramic color selection in anterior teeth restorations could consequently increase treatment predictability.