Variation in the color of the labial surface of the upper central incisors

Introduction: During the ageing process, human organs and tissues undergo structural and functional changes which can also be registered in the teeth, due to changes in their color and structure. The aim of this study was to determine the color variation of the labial surface of the upper central incisors in the gingival, middle and incisal thirds. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted on 52 dental students and included 103 healthy, vital upper central incisors. The gingival, middle, and incisal surfaces of the upper central incisors were analyzed using a visual method, with the help of a color key. Color shades were divided into three groups: light, medium and dark. Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U test in IBM SPSS version 26.0, with the level of statistical significance set at p < 0.001. Results: In the largest number of male students (46.8%), medium shades of color were registered in the gingival thirds of the teeth, while light shades were observed in the middle and incisal thirds of the teeth in the largest number of cases (66% and 80.9%, respectively). In the majority of female students, the gingival, middle, and incisal thirds of the labial surfaces of the upper central incisors had light shades (69.6%, 92.9%, 94.6%, respectively). It was observed that the colors were not equally distributed according to the thirds of the teeth in subjects of both sexes (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Tooth color varies among the thirds of teeth examined. Female subjects had lighter shades of teeth compared to males.