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14 aesthetic dentistry section DENTAL TECHNOLOGY, OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2024

INDIVIDUAL DENTAL AESTHETICS THROUGH THE

DETERMINATION OF INSTRUMENTAL COLOR AND

DIGITAL COLOR MATCHING

Objectification of Color Perception with the Dragon Shade

ARNOLD DRACHENBERG

FIG 1: A digital SLR or mirrorless, a dental camera (EyeSpecial C-IV from Shofu) or a plug-and-play smartphone device (Smile Lite MDP)

‘Dragon Shade’ application simplifies shade taking, the
analysis of brightness, the saturation of color and the tonal-
ity in the anterior teeth. It also allows for digital shade
matching. When the dental technician does not see the
patient in person, it supports clear communication of color
between the dentist and the dental technician. Only with
detailed information about the actual patient situation, is it
possible to produce "invisible" restorations that are identical
to nature.
The method of visual comparison has established itself as
a standard in many studies and laboratories, especially
when photos are taken with a digital camera or a smart
phone.
Three variants of dental cameras are particularly well
suited to capturing the initial images for determination of
color in the application of the Dragon Shade:
FIG 2: Dragon Shade retainer: neutral gray cardboard or black, four color swatches and a gingival shield.
• an SLR/mirrorless digital camera
• a specialty dental camera
• a smartphone camera with an external plug-and-play
device (Figure 1).
In the Dragon Shade, it is possible to insert a gray or
black neutral card, four color swatches and a gingival
screen (Figure 2). In order to be able to better judge the
color and avoid too many reflections from the side flash, the
camera is not held directly against the teeth or on the color
samples, but slightly tilted from above the tooth or the sam-
ples are inclined backward. The distance from the incisal
edges should be as little as possible (Figure 3). After pho-
tographing the patient's teeth with the Dragon Shade, the
images open in the Dragon Shade application. For matching
colors and tone correction, the color of an area of the gray
card is used as a reference value for setting the color, so that
the graphic can calibrate all the colors in the photo to this
gray tone. For this purpose, you should use only the origi- FIG 3: The camera is not held directly toward the teeth or color samples, but slightly tilted upward or the
nal photos and not modified images. For example, JPG pho- samples are tilted backward