Digital shade communication between the practice and laboratory: a case report

In addition to digital tooth shade determination, VITA Easyshade V also enables shade communication using the VITA ShadeAssist software and the mobileAssist app (VITA Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany). Using the software and the app, the practice and the laboratory can rapidly and easily exchange clinical photographic material, including relevant tooth shade information. In the following technical article, dentist Knut Marcus Mau (Tuttlingen, Germany) reports on his experiences with VITA Easyshade V and the software and app solutions.

VITA Easyshade V enables a shade determination independent of the ambient light (1-point, 3-point or average measurement) on natural teeth and restorations. After the measurement, the results can be given as VITA classical A1-D4 or VITA SYSTEM 3D-MASTER shades. Bleached shades (ADA-compliant) can also be determined for the bleaching process and VITABLOCS shades for feldspar ceramic restorations.

The VITA Easyshade V is recommended whenever restorations are to be fabricated by the laboratory – to provide the specifications and details of the order and to check the tooth shade reproduction, especially in veneering ceramic restorations. The use of the system makes sense for follow-ups with bleaching treatments, as well as in direct restorative therapy for selecting composites.

First, for communication with the laboratory, the patient and dental technician are entered into the patient-related database of the ShadeAssist software and the virtual job ticket is created. Then, a clinical photo of the initial situation and the measurement results are imported – these two pieces of information are absolutely inseparable and necessary for sound communication of the findings. For this purpose, a 3-point measurement of the different tooth regions is performed on natural teeth, and a 1-point measurement on restorations. Measurements can be taken on several teeth if necessary. The data reaches the laboratory via email or USB stick.

This comprehensive information means that it is significantly simpler for the dental technician to produce the correct shade. Especially when using materials in VITA SYSTEM 3D-MASTER shades, the measurement results serve as a type of "recipe". In addition, the interim results can be compared with the required target shade after each firing using the VITA Easyshade V. Variations in lightness, chroma and hue can be visualized using the traffic light principle. Digital tooth shade determination with the VITA Easyshade V can be billed as a self-paying patient or private service.

Report 03/16