Dental ceramics: a CIEDE2000 acceptability thresholds for lightness, chroma and hue differences

Visual and instrumental shade matching using CIELAB and CIEDE2000 color difference formulas

Objective
Accuracy on visual shade matching (VSM) is one of the most difficult procedures in esthetic dentistry. Some variables can influence on this process and gender is one of the most controversial. This observational study evaluated the influence of gender on accuracy of VSM.

Materials and Methods
One-hundred observers (65 females and 35 males) shade matched four human upper central incisors (UCI) to shade tabs from Vita Classical (VC) shade guide. In addition, the spectral reflectance values from the four UCI and from the 16 VC shade tabs were measured using a spectroradiometer (SP). Measurements were performed over a gray background, inside a viewing booth and under D65 illuminant (diffuse/0o geometry). CIELAB coordinates (L*, a*, and b*) were calculated according to CIE D65 illuminant and CIE 2o Standard Observer. Instrumental shade matching for each UCI, based on minimum color difference, was performed using two color difference metrics (CIELAB and CIEDE2000(2:1:1)). Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and McNemar test (α = 0.05).

Results
Irrespective of the color difference metric, the most prevalent shade performed by females showed greater success (50% for CIELAB and 100% for CIEDE2000(2:1:1)) than males (25% for CIELAB and 50% for CIEDE2000(2:1:1)). However, such difference on gender was statistically significant only when using CIEDE2000(2:1:1) color difference metric (p ≤ 0.05).

Conclusions
The most prevalent shade option resultant from VSM performed by females using VC shade guide perfectly agreed (100% success rate) with measurements from SP and CIEDE2000(2:1:1) color difference metric.

Clinical Significance
The ability to understand and distinguish color differences in VSM is critical in clinical dentistry. Variation in shade perception due to observer gender can be minimized using additional observers and/or improving shade matching ability. (J Esthet Restor Dent 29:E15–E23, 2017)

Influence of Gender on Visual Shade Matching in Dentistry

Lightness, chroma and hue differences on visual shade matching.

We have analyzed the way in which simulated textures made of random dots influence visual suprathreshold color tolerances. We considered 32 textures created by a systematic variation of the following variables: size, number, and color of the dots. Each texture was mapped on the five centers recommended by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) in 1978 [Color Res. Appl.3, 149 (1978)]. A panel of five experienced observers determined the experimental tolerances using a CRT color monitor by the method of adjustment. At our observation distance, neither small differences in dot size (1 or 4 pixels) nor sparse number of dots (less than 20% of the surface of the sample) changed the tolerances found for homogeneous samples. For the textures that led to statistically significant differences with respect to homogeneous samples, the parametric factors of CIEDE2000 and CIE94 color-difference formulas were fitted. These simulated textures consistently reduced the color difference perceived in a pair or, equivalently, increased the tolerances, mainly (but not only) lightness tolerance. The results demonstrate that it is not simple to provide a unique set of parametric factors for all the potential textures.

Influence of random-dot textures on perception of suprathreshold color differences.

Ninety-six nylon pairs were prepared, including red, yellow, green, and blue standards, each at two lightness levels with CIE94 ΔE units ranging from 0.15 to 4.01. Visual assessments of acceptability were carried out by 21 females. Logistic regression compared visual results to four color-difference equations, CIELAB, CMC, CIE94, and CIEDE2000. It was found that CMC most closely represented judgments of average observers. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 30, 288–294, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20124

Heather Noelle Mangine

Papers

A preliminary comparison of CIE color differences to textile color acceptability using average observers

Variability in experimental color matching conditions: effects of observers, daylight simulators, and color inconstancy