Enamel color is commonly considered a crucial element of a healthy and pretty smile, and the most wanted shade in the public consciousness is white. Still, the nature of the human organism is far from these cosmetic biases.

Recently, a collaborative group of US and European scientists conducted a massive research project to identify the full spectrum of human enamel shades.

First, researchers collected about 121,000 raw images of participants' teeth from 98 countries. Then, after carefully reviewing and excluding duplicates and inappropriate sources, they chose 8153 photos of untreated maxillary and mandibular anterior incisors. To analyze collected information in the context of existing medical standards, researchers used Vita Classical and Vita 3D-Master guides.

Using AI-powered software, scientists identified 1173 unique tooth shades with 92 so-called "super-shades" appropriate for application in dental treatment. Though the physical shade guide with 92 samples is impractical in the use clinic (an average tool consisting of 15 tabs), these results may be used to create digital shade-matching tools. Such systems, in turn, may be combined with modern 3D printing and modeling tools.

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