Effectiveness of calibrated digital photography technique in dental shade analyses applications

Objectives: Although spectrophotometers are commonly used in shade analysis in dentistry; digital cameras, photographic lighting systems, computer programs and photographs have also become the part of this field. The aim of this study was to compare the success of spectrophotometer and calibrated digital photography on shade selection. Materials and Methods: 3D-Master toothguide (VITA) with 29 tabs was used for the analyses. L, a, b values were determined by a spectrophotometer (Minolta CM-2300D, Konica) and these values were matched with digital photographic measurements. Photographs were transferred to an image analyzing software (Adobe Photoshop CC). Results: There were significant differences between L* values of the spectrophotometric analyses and digital measurements in 3 different regions of the tab (p<0.05). For the evaluation of ΔE values, Post hoc Bonferroni analysis which was performed between the 3 regions of shade tabs revealed significant difference between the middle (21.92 ± 2.31), incisal (13.67 ± 1.69) and cervical (19.57 ± 2.47) region of the tabs (p<0.05). Conclusion: Spectrophotometer was found to be a more accurate shade determination technique compared to calibrated digital photography.