Clinical Tooth Color Matching: In Vivo Comparisons of Digital Photocolorimetric and Spectrophotometric Analyses.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the tooth color matching of two dental colorimetric methods: the spectrophotometric analysis (SPM) and the standardized digital photocolorimetric analysis (DPC). METHODS: The color of 60 maxillary central incisors of 30 volunteers (22.5 ± 7.6 years) was analyzed. In the DPC method, tooth photographs were standardized with the eLABor_aid protocol, processed with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software, and the values of L*, a*, and b* were obtained with a Digital Color Meter software. For the SPM, L*, a*, and b* were measured directly with a handheld spectrophotometer. Data were submitted to paired t-test and Pearson correlation test (α=0.05). Mean color difference between the two methods was calculated with CIELAB formula. RESULTS: All color coordinates revealed different values when comparing DPC to SPM in the same tooth (p<0.0001). Mean color difference (ΔEab) between SPM and DPC was 11.5 ±3.1. A positive correlation was observed for L* (R2=0.73,p<0.0001), a* (R2=0.31, p=0.017), and b* (R2=0.83, p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Even though the color coordinate values were different in both methods, they were correlated, revealing that the DPC is a viable alternative to determine the tooth color matching.

Quantitative phase analysis from X-ray diffraction in Y-TZP dental ceramics: a critical evaluation.

UNLABELLED: The dentistry literature shows consensus to use the Garvie and Nicholson equation modified by Toraya to quantify the Y-TZP phase transformation. However, this method does not include the possibility of cubic phase transformation and crystallographic texture after artificial ageing, and in this case, it is possible to observe errors of quantification. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate a dental Y-TZP ageing kinetic of phase transformation under pressure and hydrothermal conditions (130°C, 2bar) and to compare the methods of quantification by the equation of Garvie and Nicholson modified by Toraya and the Rietveld refinement method. METHODS: Discs of Y-TZP (12mm Ø×1.2mm in height) were divided into groups (n=4) according to the ageing times (in the range of 6 and 138h). The superficial characterisation was made using SEM and the XDR for crystallographic analysis. RESULTS: An aggressive superficial degradation process at the beginning of phase transformation in 6-10h of ageing was observed by SEM. The phase transformation quantification showed differences between the methods. It was observed the increase and stabilisation of monoclinic phase until 80% at 40h of ageing by the Garvie and Nicholson modified by Toraya equation, compared to 60% of monoclinic phase and approximately 30% of cubic phase observed by the Rietveld method. CONCLUSION: The Toraya equation showed an overestimated result of monoclinic quantification compared to the Rietveld method. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The overestimated result of monoclinic phase could lead to different interpretation about the dental Y-TZP ageing process.