Light and color in anterior composite restorations.

As defined by physics, color is light. With this premise, this article highlights the importance of the interaction between light and the hard tissues of the tooth as compared to the interaction between light and composite restorative materials. Based on the philosophy of color interpretation and its subsequent practical application in the development of a fluorescent and opalescent microhybrid composite system, the protocol outlined allows the clinician to achieve restorations with a light/composite interaction that closely resembles that of light/natural dentition. The learning objective of this article is to present specific diagnostic techniques to establish predictable identification and reproduction of the natural anatomy and nuance color characteristics exhibited by natural dentition with composite resin. A detailed evaluation of hue, chroma, opalescence, and fluorescence are presented in order to simplify the composite stratification technique.