Vita scale of teeth colors. Photos, shades by numbers

For aesthetic or therapeutic purposes, dentists select an individual color of filling material, crowns, veneers. To determine the desired tooth shade, use the Vita scale - a specially developed reference sample. With its help, the final result of the whitening procedure is predicted.

What color of teeth is considered normal?

By nature, the elements of the jaw rows have a barely noticeable yellowish tint. Perfectly white teeth are always the result of the use of aesthetic dentistry technologies or chemical whitening. In children and adults, the jaw rows have a different shade. This indicator is not considered an indicator of oral health, but an individual feature or a consequence of a lifestyle.

Norm for milk teeth

The elements of the jaw rows in children are lighter than in adults. Milk teeth are covered with a thin layer of calcium enamel, which gives a snow-white shade. A pronounced yellowish or grayish color signals dental diseases or systemic metabolic disorders.

The Vita color scale of teeth is used to restore the natural shade during therapeutic procedures. The methods of returning the natural appearance of the milk units of the dental cavity depend on the causes of the darkening. It is often enough for a child to exclude from the diet food and drinks that change the color of the teeth.

Causes of enamel darkening in children

Viral or bacterial infections of the maternal organism during the gestational period affect the formation of the jaw apparatus, skeletal structures of the embryo. Darkening of the tooth enamel is caused by a woman taking tetracycline antibiotics during pregnancy. In a child, dairy dental units erupt with congenital hypo- or hyperplastic defects.

Among other reasons for the change in the natural shade of teeth at an early age, dentists name:

• the initial stage of carious lesions - the surface of the jaw elements is covered with small whitish age spots;
• fluorosis - excessive saturation of the child's body with fluoride compounds, uncontrolled use of toothpaste containing this microelement, an unbalanced diet leads to a violation of the structural structure of the enamel coating, which becomes grayish, rough, brittle, with microscopic furrows;
• taking liquid iron-containing medications that cause temporary darkening of the tooth surface;
• cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disorder of the functions and morphological properties of the epithelial membranes;
• porphyria - a congenital disorder of pigment metabolism;
• poor ecological situation in the region of residence - salts of heavy metals contained in the air and chemically aggressive substances of synthetic or organic origin destroy the enamel coating.

The discoloration of the jaw elements is caused by the excessive consumption of coloring food products - blueberries, confectionery, blue and red berries.

Normal color of permanent teeth

The shade of the enamel coating is individual, but there are developed ranges of reference values. Going beyond their boundaries is considered a pathological condition. The natural shade of the permanent elements of the jaw rows is light with a subtle yellowish tint.

A grayish, pronounced yellow or noticeable blue color is a reason to visit the dentist. Systemic pathologies, metabolic disorders, progressive diseases of the oral cavity lead to this condition. Less commonly, a clear change in the shade of tooth enamel is due to autoimmune processes or genetic factors.

The reasons for the violation of the color matching of teeth in adults

Bad habits, drinking a lot of black coffee, and non-observance of the rules of oral hygiene lead to darkening of the enamel coating of the jaw elements. Too hard brush damages the tooth surface, which creates favorable conditions for contaminating deposits.

Other causes of color matching in adults:

• Features of the diet. Black tea and coffee, drinks with synthetic colors cause discoloration. Color pigments are embedded in the structure of the tooth enamel, provoking a gradual darkening.
• Smoking. Vegetable resins released during the combustion of tobacco settle on the enamel coating, forming an organic film that is difficult to remove.
• Insufficient hygienic preparation of the oral cavity. For complete cleaning of contaminating plaque and food debris, in addition to a toothpaste brush, you need to use a special thread or brush. They allow you to remove impurities from the interdental spaces. Neglect of such hygiene measures creates favorable conditions for the formation of dark hard deposits that can only be removed with dental instruments.
• Systemic pathologies. Generalized metabolic and metabolic disorders lead to darkening or discoloration of dentin tissues.
• Genetic factors. By nature, each person has a different thickness and strength of the enamel layer. The thinner it is, the more noticeable the influence of external factors on the color of the teeth.
• Taking medications. Discoloration is caused by antidepressants, inhibitors of histamine receptors, antihypertensive drugs.
• Natural aging processes. With age, tooth enamel becomes thinner, exposing yellowish dentin fibers. Deposits accumulate, pigmentation develops, and the structure changes. These processes cause darkening of the hard shell of the jaw rows.

The Vita scale of teeth colors allows you to quickly diagnose the depth and nature of changes, to determine ways to eliminate discoloration. Changes in the shade of the enamel coating are caused by aggressive effects in the framework of radiation or chemotherapy.

General presentation and purpose of the Vita scale

The standardized dental kit is used for visual comparison and selection of the appropriate shade for prosthetics or dental fillings. In the original version, the kit is called Vitascale.

The professional dental kit is produced by the German company Vita. It comes in containers with cells. Each has a shade reference sample inserted. Color models are fixed on a plastic handle-holder.

Each tone of the visual ruler is assigned an alphanumeric code. The Vita scale is divided into 4 categories. The color range is shown in the table.

Designation	Tint gamut	Numbering color options
BUT	Brownish-reddish shades	1, 2, 3, 3.5, 4
IN	Red-yellow range	1, 2, 3, 4
WITH	Gray palette	1, 2, 3, 4
D	Reddish-gray scale	2, 3, 4

The shades of the Vita scale do not correspond to the color of the tooth enamel, but to the hard dentin tissues located under it. The observed shade of the jaw elements is influenced by light aberrations.

The rays are refracted in dense dentin structures when passing through the translucent enamel layer, which creates a coloring effect. Shading models are made of thick cardboard, polymer or ceramic material.

The latter are considered to be of the highest quality, accurately conveying color nuances. They are recommended for use in dental clinics and centers of aesthetic medicine.

Ceramic standards guarantee maximum precision in the individual shade matching of a crown, implant or filling mixture. The material is appreciated for its visual closeness to the texture of natural tooth enamel.

The original German-made Vita scale palette consists of 16 shades. During professional bleaching, veneer installation or dental prosthetics, the dentist assesses the condition of the oral cavity, visually compares the ceramic sample with the jaw elements.

To ensure the utmost accuracy and exclude the subjective visual factor in the profile blades, all digital technologies are becoming more widespread with the replacement of Vita's physical sets with three-dimensional computer models.

The most famous program is Digital Smile Design. The software is used to project a smile from different angles after the restoration procedure. The software contains the standard 16 shades of the Vita scale in digital format.

DSD allows you to plan in detail therapeutic or installation activities using electronic scanning devices for determining the closest to the natural color of the enamel layer of the filling composition or implant.

The Vita scale in the physical version is a tint palette printed by typographic method on laminated cardboard, acrylic or hard glossy paper. The color range of teeth exactly matches the natural range of jaw elements.

When choosing a composite material for prostheses, special devices with retractable ceramic models are used. This shade table has proven itself well in the field of artistic restoration of the jaw apparatus.

The higher the digital index of the sample, the more dull the color it has. Models with a smaller designation are lighter and brighter. They are more close to the reference and aesthetically flawless snow-white shade.

The scope of the Vita scale

Dentists use the shade chart to determine the most appropriate shade of the filling mixture, implant or crown. The color bar helps to identify defects in the jaw rows, progressive and chronic pathologies of the oral cavity.

The Vita scale is used in the field of aesthetic restoration to match the shade of veneers or ceramic prostheses to the tone of the facial skin. This allows you to give the patient a flawless and desired appearance.

Each shade looks in its own way against the background of different colors of the skin of the face. The color bar helps to objectively assess the clinical picture. Teeth with a yellowish tint appear lighter against a bronze tan.

After its disappearance, the jaw units do not look so aesthetically pleasing. To avoid temporary visual effects, a German-made tint scale is used.

The color matching tool is used for:

• ultrasonic cleaning;
• professional whitening;
• restoration procedure;
• improving the aesthetic appearance of the oral cavity.

When performing cleaning manipulations with the Air-flow ultrasonic apparatus, reference samples provide unmistakable determination of the desired shade to restore the natural color of tooth enamel or crowns.

The German-made color palette is used to visually compare the effect of deposits on the coloration of the jaw rows and to develop individual measures for the care of the oral cavity.

Such complex measures include:

• correction of the diet;
• to give up smoking;
• using the recommended brand of toothpaste;
• selection of brushes and other hygienic devices.

The Vita scale is used when performing hardware whitening with a laser or drugs. With the help of the palette, the dentist determines how many tones should be lightened the enamel coating of the jaw elements.

The Vita scale determines the aesthetic appearance after the procedure and the result of intracanal bleaching. In the course of work, the doctor constantly checks with reference samples to achieve the desired visual effect.

During the restoration modeling of teeth, the Vita scale allows you to eliminate chips, cracks, and other defects in an imperceptible way. Thanks to the color line, it is possible to achieve indistinguishability of a filling, crown or microprosthesis against the background of a natural enamel coating.

How the scale is applied, subtleties of application

When conducting a comparative analysis, the dentist takes into account a large number of nuances. The result of the assessment is influenced by subjective factors that are subject to change depending on the lighting, the skin tone of the patient, the general condition of the oral cavity.

The Vita tooth color scale is used to compare the color of different areas of the jaw structure. This is due to the difference in the thickness of dentin tissue or enamel coating, the unevenness of home cleaning, the onset of the pathological process.

The dentist takes 3 measurements - near the gingival bed, at the upper edge, in the central part of the tooth. Compare the shade on the front and back surfaces of the jaw element.

When analyzing for the manufacture of a prosthesis, the results are sent to the dental laboratory. Designs are selected using a reference sample with the indicated code - A2, C3, and so on.

When using a scale for laser or chemical whitening, the obtained result is compared in the process of work in order to achieve the most natural appearance of the oral cavity.

Features of the choice of tone

First, the dentist determines the group, the palette of which is close to the natural color of the jaw row element. Then the desired color is selected within one of the 4 shade scales. It should not stand out against the background of adjacent dental units.

Vita scale of teeth colors is a test ruler, which is distinguished by the subjectivity of shades transfer. For artistic restoration, computer models are used, which ensure the utmost accuracy of color matching.

However, this technique does not always give the expected result.

Computer modeling is influenced by:

• lighting at the time of scanning;
• the resolution of the equipment;
• camera color sensitivity indicator;
• correct setting and calibration of the program.

An error at one of the listed stages will lead to a distortion of the final result. The shade determined by the program will be lighter or darker than the required one, have an undesirable yellowish or bluish tint.

The use of this technique significantly increases the cost of aesthetic correction procedure, therapeutic intervention or prosthetics. Most doctors prefer to trust their own vision and the classic Vita scale.

Tone detection technique

The alphanumeric code was assigned to the reference samples as they darkened. The lightest shade of the palette is marked A1, and the darkest is A4. The doctor determines the desired color based on his own visual perception by applying the appropriate plate from the set to the tooth surface.

Conditions necessary for diagnosis

The result of the comparative analysis directly depends on external factors that distort the visual perception of color. Before the testing procedure, it is recommended to thoroughly clean the teeth and remove plaque from the oral cavity. The doctor carries out additional sanitation with a special solution.

This treatment removes the visually invisible microscopic plaque that changes the shade of the jaw rows. It is advisable to wear clothes of neutral or pastel colors with an open neck to the dental appointment so that the fabric does not obscure the tooth surface.

Testing is performed only on completely healthy patients. With an exacerbation of a chronic pathological process, respiratory diseases or inflammation, a visit to the dentist should be postponed until the physiological state is normalized. Adequate level of natural light must be created in the office.

Ways to prolong the result of dental correction

After the procedure of dental prosthetics, professional bleaching, installation of veneers, it is necessary to perform the recommended care measures. Shows daily oral sanitation with rinsing solutions. It is not recommended to use an electric or ultrasonic brush.

The impact of devices, the working head of which rotates at high speeds, heats the aesthetic onlays or micro-prostheses, accelerating their destruction. Such brushes provoke peeling of the adhesive organic matter and reduce the service life of the orthopedic structure.

Whitening procedure using the Vita scale thinns tooth enamel and increases the susceptibility to external irritants. For care, use special pastes with a gentle composition. To preserve the natural color of the teeth, periodic visits to the dentist for professional cleaning are recommended.

Video about the Vita scale in dentistry

Vita color scale of teeth: