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Photography is a starting point. But photography doesn't show everything — especially subtle asymmetries between the left and right sides of the face, micro-cracks or discolorations visible to the naked eye but not in photos, dentin transparency in different areas, or patient-specific characteristics.
Photography is a starting point. But photography doesn't show everything — especially subtle asymmetries between the left and right sides of the face, micro-cracks or discolorations visible to the naked eye but not in photos, dentin transparency in different areas, patient-specific characteristics (e.g., tendency for recession — this changes cervical design), or patient motivation (whether they want a "natural-looking" or "whiter" result). Photography says "what is visible." Words say "why" and what is important to the technician. A technician working solely from a photo defaults to designing — average morphology, average gradient, average transparency. This average rarely fits a specific patient. A professional laboratory — such as deltalabs. — always asks the clinician for additional details before designing.
Every patient has a different tooth shape. The technician needs to know: whether the crown is rounded or more square, whether it has sharp or rounded incisal corners, whether the gingival margin is wide or narrow (affects recession risk), whether the patient has a gummy smile — if so, the cervical area needs to be more opaque to mask the margin. How to describe:
| Parameter | Options | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Morphology type | 1–6 according to Fradeani | "Type 5 — rounded" |
| Cervical shape | wide / narrow / average | "Narrow cervical margin — recession risk" |
| Incisal edge | sharp / rounded / average | "Slightly rounded edge, not sharp" |
| Overall crown profile | rectangular / triangular / rounded | "More rounded profile" |
A natural tooth is almost never symmetrical. The left and right sides can differ in height, axial angle, cervical line contour, and dentin layer thickness. The technician needs to know about these asymmetries to reproduce them — otherwise, they will design a mirror image, which looks unnatural. How to describe:
| Element | What to note | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cervical height | whether it differs mesially vs distally | "Tooth 11: cervical margin shifted mesially by 1 mm" |
| Position relative to neighbor | whether aligned or shifted | "Tooth 21 aligned with neighbor" |
| Axial angle | whether straight or tilted | "Tooth 11 slightly tilted distally" |
| Dentin thickness | whether dentin is visible incisally | "Dentin visible in the incisal area" |
Dentin is not uniform — yellowish and opaque at the cervical margin, grayish and more translucent incisally. This gradient is the essence of naturalness. Photography shows general light and shadow, not a precise gradient. How to describe the gradient:
| Area | Intensity | Extent | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cervical | very yellow | opaque | "Cervical clearly yellow (possibly D4 on Vita)" |
| Middle | transition | moderately translucent | "Yellowish-brown transition" |
| Incisal | gray | very translucent | "Incisal clearly gray, translucent" |
Cracks, discolorations, micro-anomalies — the description specifies their significance. Without a description, the technician doesn't know whether to mask the discoloration or reproduce it as an element of naturalness. How to describe discoloration:
| Aspect | What to provide | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Location | where on the tooth | "Gray discoloration on the mesial surface" |
| Intensity | distinct / faint / almost invisible | "Visible from the cervical margin to the mid-incisal edge" |
| Color | gray / yellow / brown | "Gray discoloration" |
| Margins | sharp / diffuse | "Diffuse margins — gradually transition into natural color" |
| Patient's opinion | whether to mask or leave | "Patient doesn't consider it a problem if not completely masked" |
Clearly state what the patient wants. This changes the entire design strategy. How to describe motivation:
| Parameter | Questions | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Aesthetic goal | natural? lighter? | "Patient wants natural-looking work" |
| Preferred translucency | whether dentin is visible or not | "More translucent enamel, visible gradient" |
| Tolerance for visible differences | whether they want identicality | "Doesn't want white, artificially bright" |
| Key features | what the patient values more | "Patient values contour more than shade" |
Print this and fill it in before sending the order to the lab: ''' TOOTH CHARACTERISTICS DESCRIPTION TEMPLATE =====================================
Patient: [name/code] Teeth: [numbers — e.g., 11, 21 or full arch] Date: [date]
MORPHOLOGY ---------- Morphology type (1–6 Fradeani): [ ] Cervical shape (wide/narrow/average): [ ] Incisal edge (sharp/rounded/average): [ ] Profile (rectangular/triangular/rounded): [ ]
ASYMMETRIES --------- Cervical height vs adjacent tooth: [ ] Position relative to neighbor: [ ] Axial angle: [ ] Other: [ ]
GRADIENT AND TRANSLUCENCY --------------------------- Cervical — color: [ ] | Opaque: [ ] Translucent: [ ] Middle — color: [ ] | Opaque: [ ] Translucent: [ ] Incisal — color: [ ] | Opaque: [ ] Translucent: [ ] Opacity at edge: [ ]
DISCOLORATIONS ---------- Are they visible: YES [ ] NO [ ] If YES — location: [ ] Color (gray/yellow/brown): [ ] Intensity (distinct/faint): [ ] Mask or leave: [ ]
PATIENT MOTIVATION ------------------- Goal: natural [ ] lighter [ ] cooler [ ] other: [ ] Translucency: natural [ ] more opaque [ ] more translucent [ ] Luster: natural [ ] more shiny [ ] Other expectations: [ ]
SPECIAL NOTES --------------- [ ] ''' ---
"Patient wants a veneer for tooth #1. A1 Vita. Natural." Problem: A1 is just a shade value. No morphology, no asymmetry, no gradient, no precise motivation.
"Patient A1 Vita. Tooth #11. Morphology type 4, average cervical margin. Translucent dentin." Problem: No asymmetry relative to tooth #21, no discoloration, no information whether "translucent" means maximally or moderately.
"Patient morphology type 5 (rounded). Tooth #11 vs #21:
Gradient: cervical clearly yellow (close to D3 Vita), incisal gray, translucent. Dentin visible incisally. No discoloration. Patient wants natural-looking work — not artificially white. Enamel translucency should be visible." Benefits: The technician knows exactly what to do. No guesswork. ---
LABORATORY PERSPECTIVE
Contact deltalabs. — we will advise on the best solution for your case.
Get in touch — we'll discuss your case and find the optimal solution.
3SHAPE · ITERO · MEDIT · DENTSPLY SIRONA