Prosthodontics & Occlusion · patient case question
The crown reads as too bright and chalky beside her yellow natural teeth. Which dimension of colour is mismatched?
Patient case: Failing anterior crown in a bruxer
Patient: 49-year-old woman.
Chief complaint: My crown feels loose and it does not match my other teeth.
History: Crown placed approximately twelve years ago. Partner reports night-time grinding.
Findings: Porcelain-fused-to-metal crown on a maxillary anterior tooth with a visible metal collar at the margin and gingival recession. The crown is markedly brighter and whiter than the adjacent teeth, which are distinctly yellow. Generalized wear facets on the posterior teeth. The crown moves on digital pressure.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Value
- A. Hue is the basic colour family — the A, B, C, D letters on the Vita guide. A hue error looks like the wrong colour family, not excessive brightness.
- B. Chroma is saturation, the 1 to 4 number. Low chroma contributes to a washed-out look but is not the dominant descriptor here.
- C. Translucency affects depth and vitality of appearance but is not the primary error described.
- D. CORRECT. VALUE is lightness versus darkness — the amount of grey. It is the dimension the eye registers first, which is why a crown that is 'too white' leaps out. Squinting suppresses colour perception and isolates value, which is why clinicians squint when matching shades.
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