The color remains one of the most controversial and researched features of the tooth. There are ongoing studies that try to answer questions that concern the community of dentists and dental technicians all over the world. Questions having the origin in the patients desire  for a beautiful smile which, undoubtedly involves a healthy color and brightness of the dental arches.

Unfortunately, color is one of the most susceptible factors to change, exposing localized or generalized dental conditions, eating behaviours, or simply the patients’ aging.

How do the results of research in this field answer the questions raised by dental practice? Do patients perceive tooth color the same way we, their dentists, see it? What are the treatment trends? Is the concept of minimal invasive therapy that governs modern dentistry applicable in the field of dental dyschromia? What chemical bleaching options are recommended and what are their benefits? When we can and should approach prosthetic methods, aiming to hide a dyschromic substrate, what restorative materials and techniques are preffered? And, mostly important, which are the limits of color perception when analysing dyschromic teeth and what evaluation methods are available  for increased accuracy?

This conference highlights the answers we are looking for, in the activity of the Research Centre of Optical Properties of Teeth and Dental Materials, from the Faculty of Dentistry in Cluj-Napoca, as well as the way we combine the results of research with clinical experience. So, yes, for us the answer is positive, dental color remains a continuous challenge in dentistry.