Effect of gender, experience, and value on color perception.

ABSTRACT

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Precise shade matching can be one of the most difficult tasks for the dentist and some variables may influence the process of shade comparison. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY This study tested the differences in shade perception between genders, the influence of the observer's clinical experience, and the value of ceramics in correct shade selection. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 45 women and 54 men compared 16 pairs of ceramic disks according to shades. The χ(2) and Fisher exact tests were used to analyze the results, adopting 5% as the level of statistical significance. An analysis of risk was also performed to evaluate the variables. RESULTS: The results indicated that there were statistical differences among gender, clinical experience, and shades in discriminating ceramics. CONCLUSIONS: Men and observers with more clinical experience were more successful in discriminating shades, although darker shades were selected more correctly than the lighter ones.