Abstract
Determining the shade of dental materials is a challenging requirement. Improper shade selection is the second cause for laboratory remakes, resulting in inefficiency and additional cost, and unnecessary stress for the clinician, technician and patient. The process of shade selection is somewhat subjective, with no consensus on the protocol. This research investigation aimed to develop a novel software application to provide an accurate, objective, and systematic approach to shade determination for teeth, soft tissues, and dental materials. An IOS software application was developed to facilitate a simple approach for dental shade determination. The software functions on a high-dynamic-range micro- color sensor with automatic temperature control and inter-device repeatability of <1.0 ∆E. The determination of shade is completed through the evaluation of color based on CMYK, RGB, and LAB, which are different techniques of storing colors. The software has been launched onto iTunes (beta version) and is available for evaluation and feedback. The app provides an objective colour determination of any dental shade within seconds and is not impacted by the external light sources.This novel approach to shade determination offers clinicians an alternative digital dentistry tool, with the aim of providing simplicity and accuracy and a reduction in errors and remakes. Further research is underway to compare this novel application to the traditional shade tab approach commonly practiced at most clinics and dental schools.