Shade meaning in this case the colour of one's teeth (and dentures).This is a topic we take for granted dentistry follows fashion or fads just like hairdressing clothes shoes etc. When we make a denture for a patient, we have to consider the colour or shade of the teeth and the pigmentation of oral (gum) tissue to be used.
In this process, which is not an exact science, there are several things that influence it
* Are the teeth clean meaning if you smoke or drink tea and coffee, this will stain the teeth. So when matching shades (meaning colours) of teeth they must be clean to start with, let us look at the top end quality of teeth used in denture work. The quality and shade ranges are many.
If one looks at a tooth (meaning your incisors) they are made up of three basic colours - neck colour, body colour and incisal tip.
Ethnicity also plays a role, we live in a rich and vibrant multinational world, and oral tissue pigmentation varies accordingly.
Matching teeth can be very challenging - ensure that you use good natural daylight when possible, fluorescent lights, time-of-day will influence, one's judgement, it is possible nowadays to buy, a shade taking piece of equipment, this is extremely expensive. Also the piece of equipment is only as good as the person who uses it. Technology seems be taking over every part of our lives, how did we have a survive without it???
In dentistry, as in life, you get WHAT YOU PAY FOR - if it seems too good to be true - patient beware!
Photo left shows a patient with three different shades of teeth, canines are always darker, the two front teeth are lighter than the canines and the two laterals are even lighter. The gaps between the teeth represent the periodanal issues the patient had with their natural teeth and she wanted this reflected in the denture.
Pic b - As a child, this patient had orthodontic treatment in her youth. Sadly she is now a denture wearer. She requested that her new dentures were made to look like she looked, in her minds eye, before orthodontic treatment. she commented that her laterals crossed over her centrals. She wanted this character preserved with her new dentures.
This is purely decorative and has no physiological advantage other than the skill factor of the manufacture of this product.
This gentleman of Nigerian extraction, complaint about his dentures. “My gum tissue was never pink in origin” could we make him something with a much darker gum to match his natural gum tissue colour. At the time tints and shades were of limited availability, and this reflects one of my earlier results.
The crowning glory shows gold inlays, root staining, contouring and stippling, this is ultimate in aesthetics (dear reader - you can imagine how much extra work is needed to achieve such a result and has to be reflected in the final cost.
With this type of work your prosthesis may require up to 25 hours technical work in their manufacture. This helps lift the veil behind which such extraordinary work takes place. We are now being brainwashed by the white bleached smile, this as a maker of dental product is not always the nicest in aesthetics and can re seen as being to striking. Lipstick, smoking, drinks even chewing tobacco - all of these will effect your colour and your personal appearance.