Silicone Mask Use Enhances Consistency in Tooth Color Assessment for Whitening Trials: Study Finds
Italy: In a significant development in cosmetic dentistry, a recent study has demonstrated that the use of a silicone mask can substantially improve the accuracy and reproducibility of tooth color assessments in whitening clinical trials. This advancement may enhance the reliability of bleaching treatment evaluations—an essential factor in product efficacy research and patient satisfaction.
The study, published online in the International Journal of Dentistry on April 9, 2025, investigated how consistently dentists could measure tooth color using two commonly used dental spectrophotometers: the Rayplicker and the Vita Easyshade Advance 4.0. The researchers specifically examined the effect of a custom-designed silicone mask that ensures the device tip is in the same position for each measurement.
For this purpose, Pier Francesco Porciani from the Department of Medical Biotechnologies, Unit of Endodontics and Restorative Dentistry, University of Siena, Italy, and colleagues carried out a cross-over study involving twenty participants. They conducted multiple assessments of color coordinates and the associated whitening index, comparing results obtained with and without the silicone mask using Vita Easyshade, and with the Rayplicker. To evaluate the consistency of measurements, intrasubject variability was analyzed both in immediate succession and over a short time interval.
The research yielded several noteworthy findings:
- Repeated measurements in quick succession showed minimal variance and coefficient of variation (%CV) for each participant across all tested devices.
- Bartlett’s test indicated that Vita Easyshade used with the silicone mask exhibited greater variance than either the device used without the mask or the Rayplicker.
- When comparing readings taken before and after a gap of 2 minutes and 30 seconds, the results showed full reproducibility in terms of both variance and %CV.
- P-values from Bartlett’s test were consistently above 0.90 for all pre-post comparisons, indicating no statistically significant differences.
- There was no notable variation in %CV values between pre- and post-measurements.
- Notably, the Vita Easyshade without the silicone mask showed a significantly higher %CV for the L and b color scores than either the masked version or the Rayplicker—both of which delivered comparable precision.
The authors conclude that incorporating a silicone mask significantly improves the consistency and reliability of the Vita Easyshade Advance 4.0 in measuring tooth color changes. Additionally, the Rayplicker was a dependable alternative for such assessments. Together, these findings underscore the potential of enhanced measurement tools in improving the quality and reproducibility of data in tooth-whitening clinical studies.
Reference:
Porciani, P. F., Grandini, S., Perra, C., Porcu, L., Torri, V., Diomede, L., & Sarrica, A. (2024). Use of a Silicone Mask Improves the Reproducibility of Tooth Color Assessment for Whitening Clinical Trials. International Journal of Dentistry, 2025(1), 6221075. https://doi.org/10.1155/ijod/6221075
