Study esthetic restoration of maxillary central teeth: Optical properties and color coordination in young adults in Isfahan.

Abstract

Background: This study investigates the critical role of esthetics in restoring anterior teeth, particularly maxillary central teeth, emphasizing the need for restorations that closely mimic natural tooth appearance. Achieving visual harmony and precise color coordination across all tooth areas is essential, with the opalescent area and halo being vital for maintaining restoration integrity. While previous research has addressed tooth color and opalescent characteristics, this study aims to provide a deeper analysis of their optical properties (L, a, b) among individuals aged 20-30 years in Isfahan, using cross-polarized photography.

Materials and methods: In this descriptive analytical research involved 191 participants from the Faculty of Dentistry at Islamic Azad University of Isfahan, all without dental abnormalities or prior restorations. Data collection was conducted in three stages, starting with cross-polarized photographs of the central teeth, which were analyzed using Adobe Photoshop and Camera RAW software to extract the L, a, b components for both opalescent and halo areas, followed by statistical analysis using SPSS. Results showed that 51% of participants were female and 49% male, with all exhibiting an opalescent area and 57% having a halo area.

Results: The opalescent area dimensions ranged from 0.20 to 0.83 mm, whereas the halo area ranged from 0.13 to 0.62 mm. Average values for L, a, and b in the opalescent zone were 68.94, 11.89, and 26.35, respectively, with mean ΔE values of 74.88 for the opalescent area and 77.52 for the halo zone. The opalescent zone was present in all participants, showing similar sizes across genders but slightly larger in men, whereas the halo zone was more common in women.

Conclusion: Men's teeth showed reddish and yellowish hues in the opalescent area, with no significant differences in the halo area, providing valuable insights for the design of aesthetic restorations and color coordination efforts.