Examination of tooth shade in relation to age and gender

Physiological aging process leads to changes in all tissues and organs of the human organism. Changes of the tooth color with age occur as a result of the pulp chamber reduction and deposition of secondary dentine, when dentine become thicker and less transparent. The aim of this study was to determine degree of the tooth color change in relation to the age of patients and the gender. The study included 166 patients, aged from 18 to 77 years. All patients were divided into four age groups. Determination of the tooth color was performed by visual method using the Philips zoom shade guide chart in the middle third of the healthy upper central incisors. The results showed that 21,7% of the patients between 18-30 years had dominant light tooth color, 12.9% of the patients from 31-45 years had the medium color, and patients from 46-60 and older than 61 years in most cases had dark color of the teeth (9.1% and 21% respectively). The dominant light tooth color was A2, medium color A3, while the most common dark color was A3.5. Women had significantly lighter teeth compared to men. The study showed that younger patients had lighter teeth and that the color of teeth become darker with age.