Assessment of Tooth Shade in Primary Dentition among Indian Paediatric Population and its Association with Skin, Lip and Gingival Colour: An Observational Study

Abstract

Introduction: Assessment of dental aesthetics is a complex procedure because a large number of factors can contribute to aesthetic perceptions. These factors include hard tissue characteristics such as tooth colour, shape and alignment, and soft tissue considerations like gingival colour, skin complexion and lip shade. Studies have not been reported evaluating harmony between primary tooth shades related to soft tissue characteristics in children. Aim: To determine the shade of primary teeth and associate it with skin, lip and gingival colour among Indian paediatric population. Materials and Methods: Among 318 consented children, after collecting the demographic information, clinical examination was conducted independently by three calibrated examiners for tooth shade, skin, lip and gingival colour using standard protocol. The collected data were statistically analysed using Pearson correlation and chi-square test. Results: Tooth shade of primary central incisors among half of the study subjects did not match with any of the shades of Vitapan classical shade guide (n=152, 47.79%). A1 (Vitapan classical) was the most commonly observed shade among primary incisors (n=135, 42.45%). Intra and inter arch primary tooth shade variation was not observed (p<0.001). A statistically insignificant negative correlation was observed when primary tooth shade was correlated with skin and lip colour (p=0.11), and a positive correlation with gingival colour (p=0.71). Conclusion: It was found that the shade of primary dentition among half of the children did not match with any of the shades in the Vitapan classical shade guide and there is a need for a new shade guide for primary dentition which can be used effectively and efficiently for clinical purposes.

Keywords

• deciduous
• dental aesthetics
• gingiva