Influence of age, gender, and educational background on tooth color

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of age, gender, and educational background on the color coordinates of the maxillary central incisor. Materials and Methods: The color of the maxillary central incisor teeth of 302 individuals was measured using a spectrophotometer. The L*, a*, and b* parameters were recorded. T-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the Scheffe's post-hoc tests were used to describe the relation of the L*, a*, and b* values between color with age, gender, and educational background. Results: The results of this study showed that a significant difference among all three parameters of color and age was observed. There was a significant difference for the a* and b* parameters for gender, but no difference was found for the L* parameter. Finally, there was a significant difference in the L* and a* parameters, but no difference in the b* parameter in terms of educational background. Conclusions: As individuals age, their tooth color darkens. Women have lighter teeth than men. The tooth color of high school graduates was found to be lighter than that of the other groups.