Satisfaction of Dental Students, Faculty, and Patients with Tooth Shade‐Matching Using a Spectrophotometer

Abstract

The aims of this study were to evaluate dental students’ clinical shade‐matching outcomes (from subjective use of shade guide) with an objective electronic shade‐matching tool (spectrophotometer); to assess patients’, students’, and supervising faculty members’ satisfaction with the clinical shade‐matching outcomes; and to assess clinicians’ support for use of the spectrophotometer to improve esthetic outcomes. A total of 103 volunteer groups, each consisting of patient, dental student, and supervising faculty member at the University of Louisville, were recruited to participate in the study in 2015. Using the spectrophotometer, clinical shade‐matching outcome (ΔE clinical ) and laboratory shade‐matching outcome (ΔE laboratory ) were calculated. Two five‐point survey items were used to assess the groups’ satisfaction with the clinical shade‐matching outcome and support for an objective electronic shade‐matching tool in the student clinic. The results showed that both ΔE clinical (6.5±2.4) and ΔE laboratory (4.3±2.0) were outside the clinical acceptability threshold ΔE values of 2.7, when visual shade‐matching method (subjective usage of shade guide) was used to fabricate definitive restorations. Characteristics of the patients, dental students, supervising faculty members, and restorations had minimal to no effect on the ΔE clinical . The patients, dental students, and supervising faculty members generally had positive opinions about the clinical shade‐matching outcome, despite the increased ΔE clinical observed. Overall, clinical shade‐matching outcomes in this school need further improvement, but the patients’ positive opinions may indicate the need to revisit the acceptability threshold ΔE value of 2.7 in the academic setting.