Metamerism in dentistry refers to:

The use of multiple shade guides to select tooth color
Color change of dental materials over time due to oxidation
The ability of composite resin to match the adjacent tooth shade
A phenomenon where two colors appear to match under one light source but not another

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Correct answer: D. A phenomenon where two colors appear to match under one light source but not another

A. Using multiple shade guides is good shade-matching practice but is not the definition of metamerism.
B. Color change over time is called discoloration or staining, not metamerism.
C. Composite resin shade matching is related to color but 'matching' is not metamerism.
D. Correct. Metamerism is the phenomenon where two objects appear to match in color under one light source (e.g., dental office fluorescent lighting) but look different under another light source (e.g., natural sunlight). It is a critical consideration in shade matching for dental restorations.

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