Dental OSCE 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

When selecting a shade for a porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM) crown, it is essential to consider the overall aesthetics and how the material's properties interact with natural teeth. If difficulty arises in selecting the right shade, one effective strategy is to decrease the color and grayness. This approach can help create a more harmonious and natural-looking result, as reducing the intensity of the color can better match the varying shades and subtleties found in natural teeth.

Increasing color or grayness may result in a crown that looks noticeably artificial, detracting from the overall esthetic goal. Selecting a lighter or darker shade without addressing the underlying challenge of color and grayness may lead to mismatches in shade that can be noticeable to the patient and their peers, ultimately compromising the aesthetic outcome. Therefore, focusing on reducing the color and grayness fosters a more natural appearance and enhances the overall integration of the crown with the existing dentition.