Association of Age and Gender with Tooth Shade and Its Components in Individuals Aged 16–30 Years
AO. Arigbede *
College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
IM. Siminilalayi
College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
AE. Obiechina
College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Accurate shade assessment supports aesthetic dental restoration, but information about associations between age, sex and tooth shade components among younger adults remains limited.
Aims: The study aimed to determine the influence of age and sex on tooth shade and its components in young adults aged 16–30 years.
Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
Place and Duration of Study: Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, between January 2021 and December 2024.
Methodology: The study included 150 young adults from the Ogoni ethnic group in Rivers State, Nigeria, who had good oral hygiene, normal teeth, and no conditions that could affect tooth shade selection. The participants were divided into the 16–19- and 20–30-year age groups. A Tooth Colour Comparator (Model YS-TCC-A) was used to determine tooth shade and its components objectively (chroma, hue, value) following the manufacturer’s instructions. Three experienced dental surgeons, including one woman, independently determined the tooth shades visually according to the standard protocol. The VITA 3D-Master shade guide was used to match the shade of the upper right central incisor. Participants who were unwilling to remove their bright make-up or jewellery were excluded from the study. IBM SPSS Statistics software version 20.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) was used to analyse the data. The chi-square test (Monte Carlo) was used to assess the relationship between sociodemographic variables and tooth shade and its components. The threshold for statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
Results: Of the 150 participants, those aged 20–30 years (79; 52.7%) and female participants (98; 65.3%) constituted the majority. The chi-square test showed a statistically significant association between age group and tooth shade and between sociodemographic variables and chroma when the instrument-based method was used, but no such associations were found with the visual method.
Conclusion: Sociodemographic variables may be associated with tooth shade and one or more of its components even among individuals aged 16–30 years.
Keywords: Tooth shade, tooth colour, age group, sex, hue, chroma, value, VITA 3D-Master, visual assessment, tooth colour comparator