[Correlations between colorimetric parameters of teeth, eyes and skin. Perspectives in the choice of tooth shade for complete denture].

Abstract

Rehabilitation with complete denture include among other objectives, improvement of facial and dental esthetics. To these ends, the artificial teeth should mimic as far as possible, healthy and natural dentition. The main objective of this study was to investigate factors associated with tooth color among black African subjects. One hundred and two subjects (72 men and 30 women) were included in this investigation. The colorimetric parameters of their teeth as well as those of the conjunctiva of their eyes and skin were recorded from standardized photographs. Two software, Mesurim and Photoshop were used for that purpose. Univariate and linear regression analysis were run to assess the association between tooth color and the variables age, gender and colorimetric parameters of eyes and skin. It appears from the result of this study that tooth color was positively and significantly associated with age. Stepwise multiple regression analysis further revealed that tooth hue can be best predicted by a combination of skin complexion and brightness and eye lightness.