Colour and Shade Selection in Complete Denture:A Systematic Review

Statement of Problem: Colour and shade selection is an important parameter which is essential in aesthetic replacement, thereby enhancing the psychology of the geriatric patient. Though its effectiveness is well known, its use is seen to be restricted. With current advancements in shade matching, its utility needs a systematic review.

Objective: The objective of this is to review about the improvement in aesthetics in the construction of complete denture by selection of the appropriate colour and shade matching similar to natural tooth in geriatric patients.

Method: Using various key words, an electronic search was performed from several databases-Medline/Pubmed, Cochrane Library and Google scholar. Furthermore, a manual searching of relevant journals and bibliographies of reviews was performed. Studies, which met the relevant criterias were selected for full text reading.

Results: This systematic review started with search various relevant articles, which were finally narrowed down to eighteen according to the inclusion criteria.

Conclusion: A thorough knowledge about the science of colour and shade selection is essential to the success in the field of Prosthodontics. It should be approached in a methodical manner. This enables the dentists to make the best choice and communicate it appropriately to the laboratory.

Clinical Significance: Even though the benefits of Shade matching are yet to be proven, evidences so far have not shown any adverse effects associated to shade matching. This means that the decisions made by clinicians whether or not to use shade matching depends upon clinical evaluation, patient physical and psychological health.