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Dental knowledge: shade and shape selection

Shade and shape selection is the basis of an aesthetic restoration.

Getting the shade and shape of a tooth right is one of the most difficult steps in producing a restoration, yet from the patient's point of view it is decisive for the result. A restoration has succeeded when it looks attractive, works convincingly and is not recognised as a restoration at all. It has to blend seamlessly into the natural dentition.

Determining the shade individually and selecting the right colour is the decisive aesthetic criterion in making a restoration. It is essential if the natural colouring is to be carried over to the new teeth. The different natural tooth shades arise from the way light is refracted in the hard tooth substance; the composition of enamel and dentine determines the colour.

The tooth shade has to be determined without interference from distracting light sources or other lighting in the surroundings.

Answered briefly

Frequently asked questions

The tooth shade has to be determined without interference from disturbing light sources or other light influences in the surroundings. Only in this way can the natural colouring be reliably transferred to the new teeth. Determining the shade counts as one of the most difficult steps in making a restoration.
The different natural tooth colours come about through the refraction of light in the hard tooth substance. How the colour turns out is determined by the composition of enamel and dentine, that is of the outer hard layer and the tooth bone beneath it. That is why the right colour is determined individually for every patient.
A restoration is considered successful when it is aesthetically pleasing, functionally convincing and not recognisable as a restoration. It has to fit homogeneously into the natural set of teeth. From the patients' point of view colour and shape are decisive for that, and therefore determine the outcome of the treatment.