Tooth color in dental students from Buenos Aires University, Dental School, Argentina

The aim of this study was to evaluate tooth color in dental students at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The participants were 184 students (157 women and 27 men) aged 21 to 33 years, mean age 24.45 (SD 2.79) years, who were in the fourth year of their dental degree. They agreed to participate through an informed consent. Exclusion criteria were: having undergone a bleaching treatment within the previous six months, presence of total or partial peripheral restoration, pigmentations, fracture, carious and non-carious lesions or absence of the right upper central incisor (1.1). A dental prophylaxis procedure was performed on the buccal surface of each 1.1 tooth with a prophylaxis brush (TDV) mounted on a low-speed rotary instrument Kavo 2068 CHC (Germany) micromotor and a Kavo LUX K201(Germany) contra-angle. Shade was measured in the middle third of each 1.1 tooth, by the same observer, using a VITA Easyshade V spectrophotometer (Zahnfabrikn Bad Säckingen, Germany), which was calibrated before each determination according to manufacturer’s instructions, in the same dental unit (Sino S2316), with natural illumination, in the same time slot, without using the dental unit lamp. The results were recorded in an ad-hoc form and rates and confidence interval were obtained. Shade prevalence percentages (95% CI) were: A1: 46.2 (38.83 - 53.68); followed by A2 and B2, both with 17.39 (12.21 - 23.66); A3: 6.52 (3.41-11.11); B1: 4.35 (1.9-8.39); D2: 2.72 (0.89 - 6.23); B3: 2.17 (0.60-5.47) and C2: 1.09 (0.13-3.87); D3, C3, A3.5 and A4: 0.54 (0.01-2.99). Shades D1 and C1 were not determined in any subject. Within the conditions of this study, A1 was the most prevalent shade in central incisors, followed by A2 and B2.