Shade Guides at Dandy

Tooth Shade Areas

Understanding the different shading areas on a tooth is critical for accurate restoration
matching.

• Base: The most obvious area. This represents the middle portion of the tooth, or the
  entire tooth if no other specific shades are selected.
• Gingival (Cervical): The area closest to the gum line, making up approximately 1⁄3 of the
  tooth. It is typically the darkest of the facial shades.
• Incisal (Occlusal): The area of the tooth furthest from the gum, also comprising about 1⁄3
  of the tooth.

The Stump Shade

The "stump" refers to the internal part of the tooth (the prepared tooth), consisting of the dentin
left after the enamel is removed. Laboratories must compensate for a dark stump shade when
manufacturing a crown; however, depending on the material and outer shades, it may affect the
final aesthetic.

Recommendation: Avoid using a translucent material when there is a dark stump shade paired
with a light base shade.

Primary Shade Systems

Vita Classical

Debuted in 1983 as the first uniform shade standard, this widely used guide groups similar hues
by letter and chroma by numerical values.
Hue Group (Letter) Color Spectrum

• A Reddish-brown
• B Reddish-yellowish
• C Grey
• D Reddish-grey

Chroma: Denoted by numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.), representing the intensity of the color. A higher
chroma number does not universally mean a darker color across different letter groups (e.g., by
value, D4 is lighter than A3). Shades are not uniformly spaced in intensity or value.

VITA 3D Master & Linearguide Slides

Introduced in 1998, the VITA 3D Master system allows for systematic reproduction of 26 natural
tooth shades. The key advantage over VITA Classical is the uniform spacing of Lightness
(z-axis), Chroma (x-axis), and Hue (y-axis).

• Format: Each shade number represents Lightness, Hue, and Saturation, respectively.
• Hue Indicators: 'L' represents the yellowish end of the spectrum, while 'R' represents the
  reddish end.

Linearguide Slides: Another method for utilizing the 3D Master system, effectively illustrating different lightness strata and variations within a lightness group.

 Vivadent Bleach Shade Guide

A bleach-specific guide ranging from BL1 (lightest) to BL4 (darkest).

IPS Natural Die Material Shade Guide

Designed for the prepped tooth to accurately determine and communicate the "stump shade."

Discontinued & Legacy Systems

• Ivoclar Chromoscope Bleach: 
  • Discontinued. 
  • Requires conversion to current Ivoclar
    bleach shades.
• Empress Stump: 
  • An outdated stump shade guide. 
  • Requires conversion to IPS Natural
    Die.
  • 

Other Shade Guides

Chromascope

Split into 5 color groupings, each arranged in 4 graduations of intensity:

• Group 100: White
• Group 200: Yellow
• Group 300: Light brown
• Group 400: Gray
• Group 500: Dark brown

IPN Portrait

A system that corresponds with the 16 Vita Classic (A-D) shades, the popular “Base 8” Bioform
shades, and three bleach shades.

Esthet-X HD Trumatch

A shade guide used for restorative "Micro Matrix" materials, primarily for fixing chips and minor
imperfections.

Admira Fusion

Shade guide for ORMOCER restorative material, utilizing "pure silicate technology" for ceramic-based restorations (e.g., chips, cavities).
Important Protocol for Admira Fusion:

• If a doctor submits non-Vita shades from this guide, they should
   
  • Retake the shade or use 3shape to shade match. Even if the
    doctor submits Vita shades using the Admira Fusion guide.
  • Retake the shade with a dedicated Vita guide to ensure accuracy.

Additional Shading Considerations

Pink Porcelain

To accurately shade pink porcelain, reference portal pictures and use the Emax Ceram shade
guide to mix porcelain accordingly. If no pictures are provided, a standardized pink tissue
formula is used, with G4 as the prominent shade. 

Note that practices cannot see this in a digital wax-up but can request approval photos before shipping.

Occlusal Staining

• Chromogens: 
  • Pigments from dark-colored foods and beverages (coffee, red wine, tea, soy sauce) attach to dental plaque or the acquired pellicle on the tooth surface.
• Wear and Tear: 
  • The natural grooves in molars are deep and difficult to clean with a standard toothbrush, creating prime traps for food debris.

Additional Resource:

• Manage Patient Shade Capture for High-Quality Restorations

Instructions for Use

• Global IFU - Bridge (Polymer)
• Global IFU - Bridge (Metal - Ceramic)
• Global IFU - Bridge (Ceramic)
• Global IFU - Crown (Polymer)
• Global IFU - Crown (Metal)
• Global IFU - Crown (Metal-Ceramic)
• Global IFU - Crown (Ceramic)

• Global IFU - Complete Denture (Upper)
• Global IFU - Complete Denture (Lower)

• Global IFU - Partial Denture