Comparison of the precision of a dental spectrophotometer to an industrial colorimeter.

Shade matching is a process of critical importance for esthetic looking restorations. Spectrophotometers and colorimeters are useful instruments that quantify color by measuring the three color components of light. Spectrophotometers measure the amount of light that passes through an object, whereas colorimeters function by measuring the amount of light absorbed by an object.

3D printed resin material discs were fabricated (Dentca TM, Torrance, CA, USA) and their surface was standardized. The discs were fabricated in three thicknesses (1, 2 and 5mm) and their L*a*b* color values were measured against a black and a white background using the two devices. For each specimen, 10 measurements were obtained. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient was calculated to compare repeatability/presicion.