Visual color difference thresholds can serve as a quality control tool to guide the selection of esthetic dental materials, evaluate clinical performance, and interpret visual and instrumental findings in clinical dentistry, dental research, and subsequent standardization. The importance of quality control in dentistry is reinforced by increased esthetic demands of patients and dental professionals.

Objective: The objective was to provide a literature review on perceptibility and acceptability thresholds in dentistry and corresponding recommendations.Overview: A literature review on visual thresholds included findings on the judgments of the color and appearance of tooth-, gingiva-and skin-colored restorative dental materials. Discrepancies in study design contributed to inconsistencies in the research findings of some studies. These differences are related to (a) number of observers and inclusion criteria, (b) specimen number and size, (c) color measurement instrument and the setup and formulas used, (d) psychophysical experiment, (e) data processing (fitting method), and (f) % perceptibility or % acceptability values. A straightforward, consistent and practical model for the clinical and research application and interpretation of visual thresholds and recommended protocols for threshold research were provided. Conclusions: Visual thresholds are of paramount importance as a quality control tool and guide the evaluation and selection of dental materials and their clinical performance. Although clinical shade matching conditions and method are rarely controlled, research on visual thresholds, especially when aiming to set standards for the profession, must be carefully planned and executed. Clinical Significance: Perceptibility and acceptability thresholds define visual match or mismatch of color, translucency, and whiteness in dentistry. Clinical and research findings cannot be fully interpreted in terms of real-life relevance without comparison with perceptibility and acceptability tolerances.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract