Rite-Lite PRO: Ensuring an Ideal Shade Match
Multispectral shade light recreates the most common color temperatures to simulate varying light conditions and ensure an ideal shade match
At a time when patients are requesting more esthetic dental treatment than ever before, dental professionals need a fast and efficient way to evaluate and match shades in different types of light. Enter AdDent’s Rite-Lite PRO, an easy-to-use, multispectral shade light that takes the hassle and variability out of shade matching. Rite-Lite PRO employs HI-CRI LEDs that recreate the visual spectrum produced by natural sunlight—displaying accurate colors that significantly increase the probability of a perfect shade match between tooth and restoration.
“It’s all about making shade matching easier,” says Mark L. Pitel, DMD, of Poughkeepsie, NY. “I’ve been using versions of this product since the beginning and I think it’s an essential tool. When dentists are trying to match the color of a synthetic material, like a filling or a crown to a human tooth, the key to a good biomimetic match is how they each react to ambient light.”
Overcoming the Obstacles
According to Dr. Pitel, many issues can get in the way when trying to match human tooth color—in particular, a phenomenon called “metamerism.” This is when two colors appear to match perfectly under one ambient light condition, but not under another. In the dental operatory, ambient light conditions may come from fluorescent tubes, LEDs, or halogen light sources, as well as the natural light that streams in from open windows. Each of these different light sources provides a different reference color and can complicate getting a perfect shade match. “Metamerism can cause dentists a big problem,” Dr. Pitel said, “And that’s the first issue this device helps overcome.”
"I feel great confidence taking a shade using Rite-Lite PRO because I know that I've taken it under optimal conditions and that it's my best chance at getting a good match."
-Mark L. Pitel, DMD
The second challenge that Rite-Lite PRO overcomes, according to Dr. Pitel, is the variability of natural daylight. “The problem is that most dentists were taught to take shades using ‘natural daylight.’ I think they’re still teaching dental students to take the shade reference with the patient standing near an outside window. But the color temperature of natural light varies throughout the day—especially if it’s overcast or sunny, in the morning or the afternoon. A sunny day may have beautiful yellow, orange light, while on a rainy day, it may be grayish or blue. Those are different temperatures of light and are not going to yield the same color reference. So, taking a shade under natural light is not always the best way to go.” The Rite-Lite PRO provide a stable light source regardless of the time of day, weather conditions, or other ambient light sources in the room.
3 Color Temperatures for an Ideal Shade Match
To avoid metamerism, a tooth and restoration must match well under all lighting conditions when the two are seen and compared. These include the 3 most common color conditions and temperatures: daylight at about noontime (5500K), warm interior room light produced by most incandescent bulbs or similar light sources (3200K), and a mixture of incandescent and daylight (3900K), which is often typical of many dental operatories and home environments.
“With these 3 different lighting conditions, you’re likely to pick up a shade discrepancy or the metamerism effect,” Dr. Pitel explained, adding that because the Rite-Lite PRO replicates these 3 key lighting conditions, he is much more likely to be able to achieve an ideal shade match. “If a shade tab doesn’t match the surrounding dentition and restorations in all 3 lighting conditions, you may need to pick a different shade. Ultimately, what matters is that the patient will be happy when they go home and see their smile in a different light from the dental office. There’s just no way to get a better shade match in ambient light.”
The Rite-Lite PRO also has a black light setting to facilitate matching the fluorescence of natural dentition to the restorative composite or porcelain being considered, as well as a polarizing filter attachment that eliminates reflection and reduces glare to help clinicians to visualize internal details. Also included is a pad of 25 neutral color tabs that standardize the background while determining shades.
Meeting the Esthetic Demand
In the old days, noted Dr. Pitel, it was more important to focus on disease management and treatment, fixing or extracting a tooth, and ensuring patients were able to eat, as opposed to the current fixation on esthetics.
“Today, every dentist knows that patients are very fussy about the esthetic appearance of their teeth, which has driven the importance of a good esthetic match. Dentists really can’t be complacent about taking shades anymore—they have to be very, very good at it, as patients expect a good match right out of the box,” said Dr. Pitel. “If a restoration doesn’t match, then both patient and dentist are going to be inconvenienced by needing additional visits to fix it. I feel great confidence taking a shade using Rite-Lite PRO because I know that I’ve taken it under optimal conditions and that it’s my best chance at getting a good match.”
Get a Closer Look at Fluoresce Mode
Research shows that natural teeth fluoresce at wavelengths below 400 nm—for example, in restaurants or night clubs. A fluoresce mode on the Rite-Lite PRO solves this issue by making it possible to tell if a filing or crown has the same fluorescence as the patient’s teeth. In this image, the patient’s porcelain crowns under fluoresce mode appear a very dull, dark gray and lack the bright white light emitted from the surrounding natural teeth.
Click here to learn more about the Rite-Lite PRO’s fluoresce mode.
