An in vitro study to evaluate the shade variation observed in ceramic restorations as affected by the different substructure materials using spectrophotometer

: Shade selection is one of the most important aspect of achieving optimum esthetics. Shade selection is done manually in most of the dental clinics with the help of commonly available shade guides. However, appropriate shade reproduction is still a challenge in cosmetic dentistry. Porcelain fused to metal restorations have been considered as the gold standard, however with increasing demands in esthetic and with advent of newer materials , crowns can now be fabricated free of metal ie, all ceram or porcelain fused to zirconia restorations. These restorations besides being highly esthetic have strength comparable to metal. : This study evaluated the effect of different substructure i.e. metal, zirconia and lithium disilicate on resulting shade in comparison with the commercially available shade guide and to determine whether single shade tab is suitable for different substructure. : 45 disc samples were fabricated with respect to metal, zirconia and lithium disilicate (15 each) and commercially available shade tab used as control. : Compared with control group, Porcelain fused to metal was closest to shade tab as compared to Porcelain fused to zirconia and Lithium disilicate showed significant shade deviation. : Different shade tabs should be made available for different substructures. : Inspite of development of newer materials and newer technologies, shade selection is still carried out with the help of commercially available shade guides which donot consider the change of material or the advances in materials that have taken place over the years. Hence, the dental profession is still plagued with the problem of accurate reproduction of tooth color.