Objectives: For an adequate color reproduction, it is very valuable to quantify the color distribution in human teeth accurately. The aim of this study was to determine the color relation between three tooth segments (cervical, middle and incisal) in vital upper central incisors, using digital photography.
Methods: Digital recordings of 64 upper right central incisors were made using a standardized head-camera setup. The L*a*b* values of three regions were attained from the standardized digital images using software.
Results: There were statistically significant linear correlations for L* and b* between the three tooth segments (all r's > or = 0.60; p < 0.001). The correlation coefficient for a* was lower compared to L* and b* values. The L* and b* values of cervical and incisal tooth segment could be calculated from L* and b* values of middle tooth segment.
Significance: These results show the potency for color mapping of a whole tooth surface by extrapolation of color values of only one part of the surface.