Shade Matching of Dentsply Sirona TPH Spectra ST Universal Composite

 

 

 

Most composites today do a nice job of shade matching.  To show that as well as to avoid confusion, almost every manufacturer defaults to using the Vita Classic Shade Guide as a reference.

 

The idea, of course, is that the A-2 button on the Vita Classic guide should be the same color as a composite that is marked A-2 on the compule.  This "universal definition" or "universal translation" should make communication between all aspects of the profession simple.  I mean A-2, is A-2, which looks like A-2 and when shade matching the tooth, if the tooth is A-2, then you should be able to reach for any composite marked A-2 and when you are done everything should appear A-2?  Right?  Right?

 

Now in the paragraph above, the reason I mentioned A-2 so many times is to make a simple point.  That point is simply that just because the composite is labeled A-2 doesn't mean that the composite will actually appear to be A-2.  That's where the confusion and frustration of shade matching lies.

 

However, as you can see in the 2 pictures above, Dentsply Sirona has done a pretty nice job of matching the shades in TPH Spectra ST to the Vita guide.

 

The first picture is a standard Vita Classic Shade Guide that we are all used to seeing & using.  However, it really isn't the standard Vita Shade Guide!  In the second photo, you see the same shade guide under UV light.  Notice that to the distal of every tooth there is an area that is lighter.  That's because someone at Dentsply Sirona prepped each tooth in the shade guide for a class 3 resin and then filled those preps with the corresponding Vita Shade of TPH Spectra ST.  Personally I'm impressed with this shading.

 

I've also examined the shade guide with 5x magnification and I still find it difficult, although not impossible, to see the restorations.  I've got to give credit to the Dentsply folks.  Not only is this a nice way to truly show how well the shades match the guide, it's also a great piece of marketing.

 

 

 

 

 

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