Clinical steps to predictable color management in aesthetic restorative dentistry.

The shade matching of a restoration is the critical final step in aesthetic restorative dentistry once morphology and occlusion are addressed. This article describes a seven-step approach to successful shade matching: patient and tooth evaluation, image capture and shade analysis, communication, interpretation, fabrication, verification, and placement of restoration. A step-by-step protocol to shade matching is comprehensively outlined through a case study using a combination of technology-based instrumentation, conventional techniques, and reference photography.