title: Patients' self-perception of tooth shade in relation to professionally objective evaluation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Self-assessment of teeth shade was compared with professional assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients' anterior teeth shade evaluation was conducted first by the patient (n = 193) and then by the clinician using the Vita shade guide.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 18.7% of participants, self-assessment of teeth shade matched in hue and chroma to the clinician's evaluation. A positive correlation was found between participants' self-assessment of their shade and the clinician's assessment (P = .014; Pearson product moment correlation). Participants assessed their shade darker than the clinician (P < .001; chi-square test). Only 3.6% were highly satisfied with the shade of their teeth, and 83.4% were interested in a future bleaching procedure. Tooth shade was more accurately assessed by women (P = .02) and nonsmokers (P = .03; chi-square test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A patient's preference toward a lighter shade should be addressed during treatment planning to match the patient's expectations for esthetics and increase patient satisfaction of treatment outcome. Patients may prefer white and shiny rather than a natural appearance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Rehabilitation, The Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Gili R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Samorodnitzky-Naveh
authors.forename: Yoav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.forename: Yaacov G
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Bachner
authors.forename: Liran
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Levin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003116:Color; D004955:Esthetics, Dental / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D014073:Tooth Bleaching / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult