Prosthodontics & Occlusion · patient case question
To relieve eye fatigue during prolonged close work, which colour should the operator look at?
Patient case: Caries management, sedation, tumours and ergonomics
Scenario: Five items.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Green or blue-green
- A. Black provides no complementary stimulus and simply removes light input.
- B. Bright white increases glare and worsens the strain.
- C. Red is the colour the eye has been saturated with; looking at more red does nothing to relieve the fatigue.
- D. Correct. Blue-green is the complement of the red of oral tissues. Shifting the gaze to a blue-green surface lets the fatigued retinal receptors recover and reduces the afterimage effect.
Note: This is why operatory walls, scrubs and bibs are so often blue-green.
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