Teeth #7, #8 and #9 are missing and a crown is being fabricated for tooth #10. Which shade characteristics should be sought?

Correct answer: A. Higher chroma and lower value, matched to the canine (tooth #6)

• A. CORRECT. With the central and lateral incisors on that side missing, the only remaining natural reference in the aesthetic zone is the CANINE (#6). Canines are consistently the DARKEST and most saturated teeth in the arch — higher CHROMA and lower VALUE — because they have a greater bulk of dentin relative to enamel and thicker dentin transmits more yellow-orange. Matching #10 to the canine keeps the restoration in harmony with the patient's actual dentition rather than producing a conspicuously bright unit.
• B. High value together with high chroma is an internally inconsistent combination — increasing chroma (saturation) inherently reduces perceived value (brightness).
• C. Low chroma with low value would give a dull, greyish restoration that reads as lifeless and does not correspond to canine characteristics.
• D. Selecting a high-value, low-chroma shade in isolation is exactly how a single anterior unit ends up looking artificially bright and 'too white' beside the remaining natural teeth.

Note: Shade sequence in practice: assess VALUE first (it is the dimension the eye detects most readily and the one that most often ruins a match), then CHROMA, then HUE. Take the shade at the START of the appointment before the teeth dehydrate, under natural or corrected daylight, with the tooth MOIST, at eye level, in short 5-second glances against a neutral grey background.