Technique

for making

Samuel W. Askinas, D.D.S.,’

a customized

shade guide

and David A. Kaiser, D.D.S., M.S.D.**

San Antonio, Texas

F

ew natural teeth are exact duplicates of standard shade guide teeth in any given light condition. This poses a dilemma for the dentist who is restoring or replacing anterior teeth with veneered restorations. The purpose of this article is to present a technique for making a customized shade guide from an acrylic resin denture tooth. The technique takes only,a few minutes, and the guide can be made to match the patient’s teeth exactly. It is easy to do, requires only a few inexpensive materials, and gives the dental laboratory technician a precise guide to follow. It can be done without a profound knowledge of the physics or physiology of color perception.

MATERIALS 1. Colored drawing pencils (“Eagle Prismacolor” brand?) available in artists’ supply or stationery stores, Nos. 918 Orange; 927 Light Flesh; 938 White; 940 Sand; 942 Yellow Ochre; 943 Burnt Ochre; 946 Dark Brown; 961 Warm Grey-Dark; 962 Warm Grey-Medium; and 967 Cold Grey-Light 2. Blue pencil 3. Lead pencil, No. 2H or 3H 4. Bur (No. 8) and straight handpiece 5. Cotton applicator stick 6. Acrylic resin denture tooth 7. Transparent model spray$

TECHNIQUE 1. Select an acrylic resin denture tooth that most closely duplicates the shade of the tooth to be restored or matched. It is easier to use a shade that is slightly lighter or less intense in color than the The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of United States Air Force or the Department of Defense. *Colonel, USAF, (DC), USAF Clinic, Hickam AFB, Hawaii. **Associate Professor, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antbnio. +Berol Corp., Danbury, Conn. $J. F. Jelenko Co., New Rochelle, N. Y.

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natural tooth. Annotate the shade number of the selected tooth for the dental laboratory technician so that he or she can select a similar porcelain or resin shade. 2. Make a handle for the selected denture tooth to simplify handling. a. Drill a hole incisocervically through the lingual surface of the tooth parallel to its long axis with a No. 8 straight handpiece bur. b. Force the end of a wooden applicator stick into the hole from the incisal end (Fig. 1). 3. Remove the polish from the artificial tooth using a small “Handy-Sandy”* or medium-fine sandpaper disks or abrasive-impregnated rubber wheels. The desired surface is a smooth matte finish. The smooth, highly polished plastic surface is impossible to color with pencils. 4. Add color with the pencils to the denture tooth in the appropriate areas under lighting conditibns suitable for shade matching. Note that the dry, depolished artificial tooth will appear much lighter or less intensely colored than natural teeth because the matte surface reflects light much differently. A wetted surface will facilitate color deposition from the colored pencils, as does dipping the pencils in water to release the water-soluble pigment. A small dampened camelhair brush is an excellent means of transferring the pigment from the colored pencils to the shade guide tooth and for dispersing it in whatever subtle color variations are indicated. Modify the denture tooth until it matches and harmonizes with the natural teeth (Fig. 2). Check lines, decalcifications, and stains may be added to make it an exact replica. Incisal translucency may best be.conveyed by using the black (No. 2H or 3H) or blue pencil on the lingual surface of the incisal portion of the tooth. New color may be applied over other layers of color. 5. Dry the shade guide carefully with air and coat *Handler

Mfg.

Co., Inc., Westfield,

AUGUST

1979

N. J,

VOLUME

42

NUMBER

2

CUSTOMIZED

Fig.

SHADE

1. A handle

GUIDE

is added

to the selected

denture

tooth.

Fig. t. Color is added the adjacent teeth.

so that

the denture

tooth

matches

it lightly with a model spray. This will lock the colors to the shade tooth and provide an appropriate surface finish for light reflection. At this time the importance of wetting the shade guide tooth during matching will become apparent. If the colors have been applied and matched dry, coating the surface with model spray will definitely produce more intense coloration. Suddenly the shade guide tooth may to too “dark.” If so, the tooth may be sandblasted and the process repeated.

means for conveying color information to the laboratory technician. The technique consists of applying pigment directly to acrylic resin denture teeth using colored drawing pencils. This technique was originated by Dr. Royal Norman of Omaha, Nebraska. One of the authors (S. W. A.) first saw Dr. Norman present it to the USAF Area Dental Laboratory Workshop, Westover AFB, Mass., in 1969.

SUMMARY

Reprint requests to:

A technique custom shade

has been guide that

presented provides

for making a a direct visual

Journal The

Editorial

Council

and

publisher

adopts of THE

new policy JOURNAL

DR. DAVID A. KAISER 2823 WHISPER VIEW SAN ANTONIO,

TEXAS

for illustrations OF PROSTHETIC

78230

in color

DENTISTRY

have

agreed

to publish

articles

that contain color illustrations at a reduced cost to authors. Authors will pay only $225 per color page. or part thereof, and can present from one to eight illustrations on each page. Two high-quality 35 mm color transparencies (an original and duplicate) must be submitted for each illustration, and manuscript length cannot exceed 10 to 12 double-spaced typewritten pages, The Editor and his reviewers have final authority to determine if color illustrations afford the most effective presentation. Articles containing color will appear in selected issues beginning in 1980. Authors are requested to include a statement when they submit their manuscript agreeing to pay $225 for each page of colar. Billing will come from the publisher after the author has approved color proofs and the article is scheduled for publication. Manuscripts and illustrations will be accepted immediately for evaluation.

THE JOURNAL

OF PROSTHETIC

DENTISTRY

235