Overview
EN ISO 22598:2020 - Dentistry - Colour tabs for intraoral tooth colour determination - specifies requirements and test methods for tooth-shaped ceramic colour tabs used to determine tooth colour intraorally or to verify the colour of dental prostheses. The standard covers the construction, appearance, uniformity, cleaning/disinfection, colour stability and measurement procedures for ceramic colour tabs (often supplied as shade guides). Colour coordinates themselves are left to manufacturers’ discretion. Resources intended only to illustrate mass shades (mass shade guides, colour patterns) are explicitly out of scope.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Materials and construction: Colour tabs shall be manufactured from at least two layers of ceramic materials; exact layer structure and processing are at the manufacturer’s discretion.
- Appearance: Tabs must provide tooth-like shapes to support intuitive intraoral comparison.
- Uniformity and stability: Requirements address uniformity of appearance and colour stability over time and after cleaning/disinfection.
- Cleaning and disinfection: Tabs must be compatible with clinical cleaning and disinfection procedures.
- Test method for colour measurement: Defines measurement equipment (e.g., spectrophotometers), the use of a countershape (mould to accommodate the tab), positioning, measurement parameters, and number of measurements.
- Expression of results: Colour differences are expressed using ΔE metrics; CIELAB (ΔE*ab) and CIEDE2000 (ΔE00) are recommended, with CIEDE2000 noted for better correlation with visual assessment.
- Information, instructions and marking: Manufacturers must supply relevant information and instructions for use and marking according to the standard’s clauses.
Practical applications
- Intraoral tooth colour determination during shade matching appointments.
- Quality control in dental laboratories to verify cemented or sintered ceramic prostheses against reference tabs.
- Product development and benchmarking for manufacturers of ceramic shade guides and dental ceramics.
- Clinical communication between dentists and dental technicians for aesthetic restorations.
Who should use this standard
- Dental clinicians and prosthodontists performing shade selection.
- Dental laboratories and ceramists validating prosthesis colour.
- Manufacturers of ceramic colour tabs, shade guides and dental ceramics.
- Regulatory bodies, procurement specialists and quality managers assessing conformity and clinical suitability.
Related standards
Keywords: EN ISO 22598:2020, tooth colour determination, colour tabs, dentistry standard, ceramic shade guide, spectrophotometer, CIEDE2000, colour measurement, dental prosthesis color matching.