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Tooth, skin, hair and eye colour interrelationships in Greek young adults

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible interrelationships of teeth, skin, eye and hair colour. A portable colorimeter (Shade Eye NCC/Shofu) was used to record the colour in the CIELAB system of the upper right incisors in 150 dental school students, along with their skin colour at three different areas. Natural hair and eye colour was classified into several categories by a trained examiner (ICC 0.93–0.99). One-way ANOVA and correlation tests were used to statistically analyse the data. Skin was found to have significantly higher L*, b* but lower a* values than teeth (p < 0.05). A significant correlation (p < 0.05) of teeth to skin L* and a*colour coordinate was found, but not to b* coordinate (p > 0.05). Hair tones were not correlated to teeth L* or b*, but only to a*coordinate. Teeth and eye colour coordinates were not correlated (p > 0.05). Eye and hair tones were found to have the highest significant correlation (ρ = 0.369). In conclusion, teeth of this cohort were found to be lighter, less red and yellow than the skin. Teeth colour was not related to eye colour, but lighter teeth were found to be associated with lighter skins, and redder lateral incisors to lighter hair. Darker facial skins or yellower forehead areas were also associated with darker hair and vice versa. The clinical relevance of the study is that the investigated facial characteristics are inter-correlated weakly to moderately, and for this reason predicting the colour parameters of one facial characteristic by another would not be accurate, but helpful for a rough colour selection as associations show.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Operative Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Athens, 2 Thivon Str, 11527, Athens, Greece

    Panagiotis E. Lagouvardos, Ioana Tsamali & Christine Papadopoulou

  2. Department of Prosthodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Gregory Polyzois

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  1. Panagiotis E. Lagouvardos
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  2. Ioana Tsamali
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Correspondence to Panagiotis E. Lagouvardos.

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Lagouvardos, P.E., Tsamali, I., Papadopoulou, C. et al. Tooth, skin, hair and eye colour interrelationships in Greek young adults. Odontology 101, 75–83 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10266-012-0058-1

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