Evaluation of tooth shade determination using spectrophotometry and intraoral scanning

This study aimed to assess the agreement between spectrophotometric and intraoral scanner-based tooth shade determination using the VITA Classical and VITA 3D-Master shade systems. Tooth shade was determined consecutively using a spectrophotometer and an intraoral scanner in 120 healthy adults. Measurements were performed on the vestibular surfaces of 709 maxillary anterior teeth. Shade outcomes were recorded according to the VITA Classical and VITA 3D-Master systems. Inter-method agreement was evaluated using percentage agreement, Cohen’s kappa coefficients, and Krippendorff’s α. Full categorical agreement was observed in 54.9% of measurements for the VITA 3D-Master system and in 62.3% for the VITA Classical system. Unweighted Cohen’s kappa indicated fair-to-moderate agreement. Weighted kappa for the VITA 3D-Master system demonstrated substantial agreement, indicating that most discrepancies occurred between adjacent shade categories. Intraoral scanner-based digital shade determination showed clinically acceptable agreement with spectrophotometric assessment. Most disagreements involved adjacent shade categories, supporting its use as a complementary method within digital workflows.