Preliminary evaluation on self-developed dentin porcelain color prediction system

Abstract

To apply the self-developed dentin porcelain color prediction system in the fabrication of porcelain-fused-to-metal-crown(PFMC), and to evaluate its accuracy in color-matching. Twenty upper central incisors were recruited according to preset criteria, and three PFMC were made for each tooth using three shade-matching techniques. Group A: PFMC were made according to the result of visual color selection; Group B: an spectrophotometer-based color-matching technique was used; Group C: PFMC were fabricated with dentin porcelain powder calculated by the prediction system according to the L(*), a(*), b(*) value measured by a spectrophotometer. Color differences(ΔE) (measured by spectrophotometer) of three groups of crowns were calculated in the cervical, middle, and incisal regions. The results were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Mean color differences in body regions were: Group A: 3.53±1.80, Group B: 2.86±1.63, Group C: 3.77±1.40(P>0.05), and those in incisal regions were: Group A: 2.70 ± 1.13, Group B: 2.80 ± 0.90, Group C: 3.04 ± 1.03(P>0.05). In cervical region, Group C had greater color difference than Group B(2.78±1.14)(P<0.05). Group A(3.80±2.02) and Group B, Group A and Group C had similar color difference(P>0.05). PFMC fabricated using self-developed dentin porcelain color prediction system had similar color matching compared with conventional and instrument-based methods.