Colour is an integral part of esthetic dentistry. If the colour of a restoration is off, the mistake can be glaringly evident and the result is an unhappy patient. Most dental schools do not do an adequate job in teaching colour theory. Colour theory is a language that conceptually and perceptually describes the elements of colour and their interactions.

Unfortunately, understanding colour is tricky. Slight variances in shade play with our eyes, our minds, and, ultimately, our dentistry. The illumination in the dental treatment room, optical illusions, colour blindness, and fatigue are among the dental professional’s ongoing obstacles to successful shade matching. This presentation will attempt to enlighten the dentist and ceramist on the dimensions of colour, the effect of metamerism and other phenomenon.

Fluent in the language of colour, we can sharpen our perception of colour, better understand existing colour dynamics, make better predictions, and communicate more clearly about colour.

A review of these concepts as rules and guidelines will be presented in a manner that can be utilised to resolve complex esthetic problems.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES;

1. Understand the interactions of light, colour, colour perception and shade matching.

2. Understand the difference between additive and subtractive colour theory.

3. Understand the phenomenon of metamerism, and how it can act as a complicating factor in shade selection.

4. Understand how to make the best shade selection.

5. Learn how to make chairside shade modifications like translucency alteration, adding maverick colours, and shade shifts.

6. Learn how and why camera light meters and our own visual system cannot be trusted.

7. Learn 3 simple tricks to improve your ability to select the most correct colour.