Vita Tooth Shade Selection in relation to Age, Gender, and Fitzpatrick Skin Tone in Mosul City: Research Article

Rawaa Y. Al-Rawee; Dina Wadullah Azeez

doi:10.58372/2835-6276.1347

Authors

Rawaa Y. Al-Rawee
Dina Wadullah Azeez

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58372/2835-6276.1347

Keywords:

Tooth shade, Vita 3D-Master, age, gender, Fitzpatrick skin tone, esthetic dentistry, Mosul

Abstract

Background:
Selecting a proper tooth shade is essential for achieving esthetic harmony in restorative and prosthetic dentistry. Factors such as age, gender, and skin tone significantly influence natural tooth color, yet limited data exist for the Iraqi population.

Objective:
This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between Vita 3D-Master tooth shade, age, gender, and Fitzpatrick skin tone among individuals in Mosul City.

Methods:
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,000 participants (18–60 years) attending Al-Salam Teaching Hospital, Nineveh Health Directorate, from September to October 2025. Tooth shade was determined using the VITA 3D-Master Shade Guide, and skin tone was assessed using the Fitzpatrick Skin Phototype Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests to assess associations between categorical variables, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.

Results:
The predominant tooth shade was 2M (38.9%), followed by 2L (17.8%) and 2R (16.0%). A significant association was observed between tooth shade and age (p < 0.00001), with lighter shades (1M) more common among younger individuals and darker shades (3L–4R) prevalent in older groups. Gender showed a significant effect (p = 0.001), as females exhibited lighter shades than males. Skin tone was also significantly correlated with tooth shade (p = 0.0001); lighter skin types (I–II) tended to have lighter tooth shades, while darker skin types (V–VI) corresponded with darker shades.

Conclusion:
Age, gender, and skin tone significantly influence tooth shade distribution in the Mosul population. The 2M shade represented the most frequent natural tooth color across all groups. These findings emphasize the importance of considering demographic and phenotypic factors in shade selection to achieve optimal esthetic results in restorative dentistry.

References

Joiner, A. (2016). Tooth colour: A review of the literature. Journal of Dentistry, 67, S3–S10.

Gómez-Polo, C., Montero, J., Martín Casado, A. M., Lorenzo Luengo, M. C., & Gómez-Polo, M. (2017). Natural tooth color estimation based on age and gender. Journal of Prosthodontics, 26(2), 107–114.

Lagouvardos, P. E., Fougia, A. G., Diamantopoulou, S., & Polyzois, G. L. (2012). Repeatability and interdevice reliability of two portable color selection devices in matching and measuring tooth color. Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, 107(1), 21–29.

Sulaiman, T. A., Suliman, A. A., & Abdel-Salam, A. H. (2018). Gender influence on tooth shade among a sample of the Sudanese population. Indian Journal of Dental Research, 29(6), 714–718.

Fitzpatrick, T. B. (1988). The validity and practicality of sun-reactive skin types I through VI. Archives of Dermatology, 124(6), 869–871.

Sharma, V., Punia, V., Khandelwal, M., Punia, S., & Bhargava, A. (2019). Correlation between skin colour and tooth shade for natural esthetics. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 13(6), ZC16–ZC19.

Jahanbin, A., Ameri, H., Esmaeili, M., & Sharifi, T. (2020). Relationship between skin color and tooth shade in an Iranian population sample. Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry, 32(3), 252–257.

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Estevao-Kimpara/publication/337114795/figure/fig1/AS:823165408251904@1573269335259/TA-Toothguide-3D-MASTER-R-shade-guide.ppm,

Fitzpatrick, T. B. (1988). The validity and practicality of sun-reactive skin types I through VI. Archives of Dermatology, 124(6), 869–871.https://doi.org/10.1001/ archderm.124.6.869

Gómez-Polo, C., Gómez-Polo, M., Celemin-Viñuela, A., Martínez Vázquez de Parga, J. A. (2015). Differences between the human eye and the spectrophotometer in the shade matching of teeth and the influence of age and gender. Journal of Dentistry, 43(3), 370–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2015.01.003

Al-Dosari, A. A., & Al-Shammery, A. R. (2016). Relationship between tooth color and skin color: A cross-sectional study in Saudi adults. The Saudi Tooth Journal, 28(3), 148–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sdentj.2015.12.001

Lagouvardos, P. E., Fougia, A. G., Diamanti, E. K., Polyzois, G. L., & Angelopoulos, A. P. (2016). Tooth color assessment: Visual and instrumental measurements. Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry, 28(4), 247–254. https://doi.org/10.1111/jerd.12187

Sharma, V., Punia, V., Khandelwal, M., Punia, S., & Khanna, R. (2017). A study of relationship between skin color and tooth shade value in Indian population. Journal of Indian Prosthodontic Society, 17(4), 339–345. https://doi.org/10.4103/jips.jips_153_17

Pop-Ciutrila, I. S., Dudea, D., Gasparik, C., Irimie, A., Dudea, C., & Badea, M. E. (2015). Shade selection: Influence of light conditions and training level on accuracy. Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry, 27(3), 163–169. https://doi.org/10.1111/jerd.12115

de Azevedo Cubas, G. B., Camacho, G. B., & Demarco, F. F. (2018). Objective evaluation of tooth color using spectrophotometer: Influence of age, gender, and skin color. Brazilian Oral Research, 32, e45. https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-3107bor-2018.vol32.0045

Vohra, F., AlShaikh, H., AlQahtani, M., Al-Otaibi, D., & Akram, Z. (2019). Tooth shade assessment and its relation to skin color and gender in a Saudi population. Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry, 31(1), 51–56. https://doi.org/10.1111/jerd.12438

Alomari, S., Al-Qahtani, S., & Al-Harbi, F. (2020). Correlation of tooth shade with skin color and gender in Saudi adults: A cross-sectional study. Clinical and Experimental Tooth Research, 6(3), 283–289. https://doi.org/10.1002/cre2.280

Zhou, J., Wan, Q., Qian, H., & Huang, Z. (2021). Tooth color distribution and its relationship with age and gender in a Chinese population: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Prosthodontics, 34(6), 689–696. https://doi.org/10.11607/ijp.7205

Al-Juboori, M. J. (2017). The effect of age and gender on tooth shade among a sample of Mosul population. Tikrit Journal for Tooth Sciences, 5(2), 90–96.

Al-Saleem, S. S. (2016). The relationship between gender and tooth color using digital shade analysis among Iraqi adults. Journal of Baghdad College of Dentistry, 28(4), 112–118.

Al-Daami, A. H., & Al-Huwaizi, A. F. (2018). Influence of gender on tooth shade among young Iraqi adults. Al–Rafidain Tooth Journal, 18(1), 65–71.

Al-Naqshbandi, A. R. (2019). Association between tooth shade and skin color among a sample of Mosul population. Al–Rafidain Tooth Journal, 19(2), 134–141.

Al-Saadi, H. A. (2016). A clinical evaluation of tooth shade in relation to age and gender among a sample of Iraqi population. Journal of Baghdad College of Dentistry, 28(3), 45–50.

Al-Qurainy, A. H. (2018). Prevalence of tooth shade using Vita 3D-Master among Iraqi adults in Mosul city. Al–Rafidain Tooth Journal, 18(2), 210–217.