Relations in color among maxillary incisors and canines.
OBJECTIVE
To establish the strength of color relation among the maxillary central incisor, lateral incisor and canine teeth by using digital photography. This relation might be useful for the color reconstruction of the missing part of a tooth from the color obtained from neighboring teeth.


METHODS
The L*a*b* values of the maxillary incisors and canines were determined in 100 subjects. Paired t-tests, Pearson correlations and linear regression analyses were used to describe the relation of the L*a*b* values between the three teeth for each segment (cervical, middle and incisal).


RESULTS
The mean L*a*b* values of the canines differed statistically significantly from the values of the central incisors (p<0.001) except for L* and a* values in the cervical segment between the lateral incisor and canine. The color differences between the incisors were statistically significant in fewer cases. The relation in color was the highest between the cervical segments of the three teeth, with respect to L* (r = 0.45-0.65; p < 0.001), b* (r = 0.49-0.55; p < 0.001), and a* (r = 0.38-0.61; p < 0.001), and no relation was found between the incisal segments of central incisor and canine.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a relation in color between the maxillary incisors and canines, which is stronger between the cervical than between the middle and incisal segments. Therefore, the color prediction is most reliable when the cervical parts of the teeth are used.
Dozić
Alma
A
Department of Dental Materials Science, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amoterdam (ACTA), Universiteit Van Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit, Louwesweg 1, 1066 EA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.dozic@acta.nl
Kleverlaan
Cornelis J
CJ
Aartman
Irene H A
IH
Feilzer
Albert J
AJ
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003116:Color; D003124:Colorimetry; D003481:Cuspid / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007180:Incisor / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla; D023861:Photography, Dental / Q000379:methods; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D019237:Tooth Cervix / Q000033:anatomy & histology