title: Prevalence of Colour Vision Anomalies Amongst Dental Professionals and its Effect on Shade Matching of Teeth.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The success of a restoration is dependent on accurate shade matching of teeth leading to studies evaluating the factors affecting the perception of shades. Colour vision anomalies including colour blindness have been found to exist in the population and it has been thought to be a potential factor affecting the colour perception ability.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was done to evaluate the prevalence of colour vision anomalies and its effect on matching of shades of teeth.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 147 dental professionals were randomly selected for the study and were first tested for visual acuity using the Snellen's Eye Chart so as to carry on the study with only those operators who had a vision of 6/6. Then, the Ishihara's colour charts were used to test the operators for colour vision handicap. In the last stage of the study, test for accuracy of shade selection was done using the Vitapan Classical shade guide. The shade guide tabs were covered to avoid bias. Percentage was used to calculate the prevalence of colour vision handicap and its effect on matching of shades of teeth as compared to normal vision, which was evaluated using Chi square test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nineteen operators had colour vision anomalies out of hundred operators and only two operators presented with colour blindness. Colour vision anomaly was more prevalent than colour blindness and it was also found that it was more prevalent in males than females. The difference between the accuracy of shade matching between the operators with normal vision and colour vision defect and operators with normal vision and colour blindness was statistically not significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Colour blindness and colour vision handicap are rare conditions, with the latter being more common in the population. According to our study, it was concluded that no statistically significant difference existed amongst the operators with normal vision and colour vision anomaly or operators with normal vision and colour blindness during the matching of shades of teeth.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Prosthodontics, Bhojia Dental College , Baddi, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India .
authors.forename: Amrit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khosla
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Laxmi Bai Dental College , Patiala, Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Anuj Paul
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Maini
authors.affiliation: Professor and Head, Department of Prosthodontics, JCD Dental College , Sirsa, Haryana, India .
authors.forename: Anuj
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wangoo
authors.affiliation: Lecturer, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Laxmi Bai Dental College , Patiala, Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Sukhman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Lecturer, Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Laxmi Bai Dental College , Patiala, Punjab, India .
authors.forename: Damanpreet Kaur
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Mehar
keywords: Colour blindness; Colour vision anomalies; Colour vision handicap; Shade matching; Visual acuity