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However, it is not good to rely solely on the individual assessment
of the dental professional and the patient to monitor and evaluate the
success of whitening, because the patient is often unable to properly
assess the change, due to frequent observation of their teeth during the
procedure. For this purpose, a large number of dentists photograph
the initial situation so that the photo can later be compared with the
result, but it should be noted that the change in tooth shade in the
photos can be properly assessed only if the photos are always taken
in the same patient and lighting conditions (standardized), which is
sometimes not very successful.
Fig 3: Digital connection of the mobile device and the VITA In the last decade, various digital tools have been developed that
Easyshade V spectrophotometer for the purpose of transmitting the allow us to correctly set the indications for the whitening process
measured values to the mobile application. The new module works and monitor changes in tooth shade by expressing shade parameters
on iOS and Android mobile devices. in numbers. This way, we can mathematically calculate and express

Fig 4a-d: Digital protocol for photo input and clinical measurement in a mobile application.

offices. For the shade change during a bleaching procedure these shade each shade change and avoid unnecessary problems by proving that
tabs in general do not have a sufficient range of shades, proper shade the whitening procedure was successful in a situation where the
distribution or ability to display and monitor tooth discoloration. So patient claims not to see the change. One of the most commonly
far, only one appropriate shade guide has been developed: The VITA used digital tools is the VITA Easyshade V digital spectrophotometer
Bleached guide 3D-Master (BG, Vita Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, (VITA Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany), which has been used
Germany) has a logical sequence, uniform shade distribution and for many years for assessing shade in whitening treatments and in
brighter shade options. The development of this shade guide offers dental prosthodontics, to determine the shade of natural teeth and the
tabs that have the correct and always uniform change in lightness and ceramic material.
saturation, and therefore serves to monitor shade changes during all At the IDS 2021 fair held in September 2021, VITA presented
bleaching processes. It should be emphasized that during the whitening the latest program update of this spectrophotometer (new module)
process, it is important to know that it changes the shade by lightening, intended specifically for monitoring shade changes during various
and at the same time, desaturating the tooth structure (reduces the whitening procedures. In addition to the already well-known functions
intensity or chroma in a shade), and that these parameters can be that provide information on the hue, value and chroma and bleached
visually monitored only with a shade guide that satisfies the above. This index of each measured tooth, upgrade progress is reflected in the
is impossible with other shade guides and, most importantly, leads to ability to measure the bleached index on the six anteriors, expressing the
inaccurate determination. average value of the same (Figures 1 and 2). Transferring information

Dental Practice i March-April 2024 i Vol 20 No 2 37