EVALUATION OF SHADE SELECTION REPEATABILITY WITH VITA-CLASSIC & 3DMASTER BY TWO GROUPS OF MALE AND FEMALE STUDENTS OF MASHHAD DENTAL SCHOOL

Introduction: Color Research has shown that shade guides do not always match the color of natural teeth. Moreover, Visual evaluation of dental colors has been found to be inconsistent and unreliable. In Fact it has always been important when using different shade guides. Our purpose was to evaluate effects of two shade guides, Vita-Classic & 3DMaster and shade selection repeatability with two groups of dentistry students and supplying them with a useful training in principles of color and shade selection techniques. Materials & Methods: In this analytical-descriptive study, ten male and ten female senior dentistry students with a little clinical experience in working with shade guides were chosen. Each Student used Vita-Classic & 3DMaster shade guides to determine the shade of the maxillary right canines of twenty patients. Shade selection was randomly repeated two weeks later by the same practitioners, same patients and the same protocol. t-test for comparing repeatability among means was used for statistical analysis (α=0.05). Result: There was no significant difference with use of different shade guide systems (P=0.31). Use of 3DMaster had no significant effect in increasing the repeatability in male and female groups (P=0.23). Shade selection repeatability was lightly greater in male group compared with female group in use of both two shade guides. Conclusion: Eventually training level and learning of color principles and shade selection methods seems to be the most important factor in practitioner’s ability. Vita-Classic and 3DMaster and sex had few effects on shade selection repeatability enhancement.