In terms of shade, what does chroma refer to?

Chroma refers to the saturation or intensity of a hue in color terminology. In the context of dental shade matching, it describes how vivid or muted a color appears. A higher chroma means a color is more saturated and vibrant, whereas a lower chroma indicates a more subdued or pastel-like shade. This is especially important in dentistry for achieving aesthetic results in restorative work, where matching the natural tooth color is essential for a seamless appearance.

Brightness, or value, is related to how light or dark a color appears but does not specifically encompass saturation, which is what chroma defines. Therefore, understanding chroma allows dental professionals to communicate more effectively about color characteristics when selecting materials or performing aesthetic procedures.