Reliability of two different commercially available shade guides for the shade selection of maxillary central incisors

Background: Esthetic and Cosmetic dentistry is gaining attention of both common man and dental professionals in 21st century. An important aspect of this branch is selection of proper dental shade. Aim/Objctives: To evaluate the reliability of two commonly commercially available shade guides for the shade selection of maxillary central incisors in the local population of Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Material and methods: A single examiner evaluated shades of maxillary central incisors in 200 subjects using Vita Classic and Vita3D Master shade guides. All the samples belonged in the age group of 19 to 25 years. Results: Variations in the shades of maxillary central incisors were examined related to gender and age using two different shade guides. In relation to Vita Classic shade guide, out of 16 shades, only 6 shades were recorded in our study sample. Total of 76 samples could not be matched using this shade guide. On the other hand, with Vita 3D Master shade guide, all but two samples could be correctly matched. Out of these 26 shades, only 10 shades were recorded in our study sample. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, it was concluded that there is a need of special shade guide which enumerates all the colour spectrum of the local population. There is need to improve communication between dentist and dental technicians using newly available softwares and spectro-colourimeters for proper shade duplication in dental laboratory.