Whenever cosmetic dentistry is required, it’s not enough to just replace a missing tooth, fill in chipped tooth, or do other work just to fill in the space. If the replacement tooth or work does not match the color of the rest of the teeth, especially the teeth surrounding it, it’s going to be extremely noticeable.
Matching the color of any cosmetic work done on your teeth requires an exceptional level of skill and experience. It also requires a certain level of artistry to make the cosmetic work appear to be part of your original teeth.
The anatomy of a tooth is important in determining the color of it. The dentin layer, or the tooth’s center core is what covers the enamel. This has a direct impact on the color of your teeth. The enamel is comprised of tightly packed crystals of calcium. It is one of the hardest substances produced by animals. It is also responsible for your teeth’s brilliant color and translucence.
All of these layers have certain optical properties. In order to be able to effectively match a tooth’s color and make it look seamless with the rest of the teeth around it, it’s necessary for the dental professional to understand all of these layers and how they make a difference. When matching color for teeth, color, hue, value, chroma, and saturation all need to be measured and determined. Color refers to any color you see in the rainbow. The spectrum comprises three primary colors: red, green, and blue.
Hue basically refers to the brightest forms of the colors. It is dependent on specific wavelengths of light reflected by an object. The value essentially refers to the colors lightness or darkness. The brighter color is, the higher its value.
Chroma refers to the amount of identifiable hue in any color. Gray is considered achromatic, or without hue.
Saturation essentially refers to the color’s intensity. Once you realize how much is involved with matching tooth color for cosmetic work, it’s easy to understand why it’s so important to have an experienced dental professional do this type of work for you.