Pigments
Posted on 06/07/2012
After noting in previous posts the various sources of light (emission, transmission and reflection) and the color models that reflect those sources (RGB - emission, CMYK - transmission and reflection), we are now ready to discuss colors in dentistry.
Our first topic is pigments. A pigment is a material (such as a dye or stain) that changes the color of reflected or transmitted light. The change in color is due to a wavelength absorption by the pigment.*
Because pigments can alter the color of existing materials, pigments are ideal for use in many industrial applications including dying of fabrics, paints, foods and cosmetics. Ideal pigments will exhibit high tinting strength relative to the color to which is applied and maintain stability in a range of temperatures.
In dentistry, pigments play a large role in determining the final color of ceramics, composites and acrylics.
*It should be noted that the physical process of pigments differs from other forms of luminescence such as fluorescence and phosphorescence in which materials emit light.
Portions of this post were adapted from the book:
Fundaments of Color - Shade Matching and Communication in Esthetic Dentistry published by Quintessence Publishing Co. Inc and written by Dr. Stephen J. Chu, Dr. Alessandro Devigus, Dr. Rade D. Paravina and Mr. Adam J. Mieleszko. and the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pigment
Our first topic is pigments. A pigment is a material (such as a dye or stain) that changes the color of reflected or transmitted light. The change in color is due to a wavelength absorption by the pigment.*
Because pigments can alter the color of existing materials, pigments are ideal for use in many industrial applications including dying of fabrics, paints, foods and cosmetics. Ideal pigments will exhibit high tinting strength relative to the color to which is applied and maintain stability in a range of temperatures.
In dentistry, pigments play a large role in determining the final color of ceramics, composites and acrylics.
*It should be noted that the physical process of pigments differs from other forms of luminescence such as fluorescence and phosphorescence in which materials emit light.
Portions of this post were adapted from the book:
Fundaments of Color - Shade Matching and Communication in Esthetic Dentistry published by Quintessence Publishing Co. Inc and written by Dr. Stephen J. Chu, Dr. Alessandro Devigus, Dr. Rade D. Paravina and Mr. Adam J. Mieleszko. and the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pigment