Common Causes of Errors During The Visual Shade Selection Process

Errors introduced during the visual shade selection process can lead to the fabrication of unaesthetic restorations (Fig. 31). The most common causes include the following:

1. Determining the shade under poor-quality lighting^11,38

2. Using cheap and old shade guides

3. Staring at the object and taking too long to select the shade^11,38

4. Recording shade at the end of the appointment³⁸

5. Selecting the shades against a bright background³⁸

6. The visual shade selection process is based on subjective evaluation.^1,7 Studies have concluded that there is considerable variation in shade selection among dental practitioners.^28,58,59 Few of them have also reported that the shade selected by the same dental practitioner may be inconsistent for the same patient and restoration on various occasions.^28,58,59

   Fig. 31 - The restoration on tooth #8 appears unesthetic due to shade mismatch

   

   Fig. 31 - The restoration on tooth #8 appears unesthetic due to shade mismatch