Dental shade matching method and device
OwnerJoshua Friedmaninventor
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Abstract
The shade matching method and device of the subject invention is to be used by dentists and dental professionals to help in determining the correct shade of porcelain crowns, composite fillings and other cosmetically critical dental restorations. Based on the principle of metamerism, the method consists of using a light source for generating a light spectrum in at least two distinct wavelength spectra in sequence under the control of the operator of the light source inclusive of a first wavelength spectrum corresponding to daylight to enable the dentist or dental professional to perform a shade match the way a patient would view their restoration outside of a dental office in a real world environment and then switching to a second wavelength spectrum corresponding to either room light or ambient light.
Claims6
A method for matching a color shade of a tooth or teeth for shade matching dentition comprising the steps of:
- directing a first light spectra onto a surface of a tooth or teeth, said first light spectra having a first wavelength spectra corresponding to daylight spectra at a color temperature of about 5500° K, and visually comparing a color shade of said tooth or teeth to a plurality of selected color shades from a standard shade matching guide;
- selecting a desired color shade from said plurality of selected color shades, said selected desired color shade substantially corresponds visually to the color shade of said tooth or teeth with said first light spectra directed thereon;
- and
- directing a second light spectra or a third light spectra onto said surface of said tooth or teeth by switching from said first light spectra to said second light spectra or said third light spectra, said second light spectra having a second wavelength spectra corresponding to room light at a color temperature in a range of about 2800° K to 3200° K, said third light spectra having a third wavelength spectra corresponding to ambient light at a color temperature in a range of about 3400° K to 4200° K, and verifying said selected desired color shade by visually comparing said selected desired color shade to said color shade of the tooth or teeth being treated with said second light spectra or said third light spectra directed thereon.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.