Normal gums are pink, which indicates good health. If there is any change in the color of the gums, it means there may be some health issues in the body. Gum problems are generally closely related to the stomach, kidneys, and other organs. The color of the gums can also be used to determine the degree of qi and blood deficiency. Therefore, gums can serve as a basis for diagnosing certain diseases. A spectrophotometer can determine the differences in gum color by controlling the color difference of the gums, and changes in gum color often indicate such changes in the body.
The Relationship Between Gum Color and Oral Health & Spectrophotometer Detection
Gum color is closely related to oral health. To accurately assess gum color, a spectrophotometer can be used for color control. By measuring the gum color and the color guide plate respectively with the instrument, the health status of the gums can be determined.
Is Your Gum Healthy?
Gums are what we commonly call “gum tissue”. Healthy gums are pink in color, with edges that fit closely to the tooth surface, and a tough texture with a certain degree of elasticity. When gums are inflamed, their color turns red, the edges thicken and swell, the texture becomes soft, and in more severe cases, it can lead to gum bleeding.
If left untreated, it will develop into periodontitis, causing tooth loosening and even tooth loss—you may lose teeth even before old age!
The Importance of Gum Color Assessment
Normal gums are pink. When gums appear bright red, accompanied by redness, swelling, heat, pain, and bleeding, it may indicate “stomach fire flaming upward” (a concept in traditional Chinese medicine, referring to excessive heat in the stomach). This condition is often associated with strong stomach fire and heat damaging body fluids.
- If gums are slightly red and swollen with persistent dull pain, along with dizziness, tinnitus, gum loosening, and a thin yellow coating on the tongue, it is mostly caused by insufficient kidney yin and excessive deficiency-fire. In such cases, nourishing yin to reduce fire and tonifying the kidney to strengthen teeth is recommended.
- If gums are pale white, accompanied by general weakness, dizziness, fatigue, and cold hands and feet, it is related to qi and blood deficiency, which fails to nourish the gums.
- Dark red gums are mostly seen in people with a yin-deficient constitution. Insufficient yin fluid cannot restrict yang energy, leading to this color change. In addition to dark red gums, symptoms may include irritability and heat in the palms and soles.
- Purple gums are generally caused by blood stasis, which leads to poor blood circulation and stagnation. This condition can be improved by promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis.
- Color matching is a crucial step in the dental restoration process, and its importance cannot be underestimated. To accurately assess gum color, a spectrophotometer can be used to measure its color.
Gum Color Difference Detection with Spectrophotometer
Currently, the colorimeters used for color detection mainly include photoelectric integrating colorimeters and spectrophotometers. The reason for choosing spectrophotometers as the color measurement tool is that they can calculate the tristimulus values of color by measuring the spectral power of the light source or the reflected light from teeth, and then further calculate various color parameters. This oral color matching method can effectively improve the accuracy of color matching.
Color Measurement Purpose and Operation
Color measurement aims to determine the coloration of a single color sample or compare the color difference between two or more color samples. When using a spectrophotometer to measure gum color differences, follow these steps:
- Place the gum color sample on the observation hole.
- Run the color measurement program to obtain the tristimulus values of the sample, thereby determining whether the sample meets the requirements.
- When measuring the color difference between two or more samples:
- First select one of the samples as the standard sample and test it with the spectrophotometer.
- Treat the other samples as test samples.
- Perform color matching with the colorimeter according to the required color difference value and color measurement conditions.
- The instrument will provide the color difference value between the standard sample and the test samples, and determine whether the color difference between the samples meets the requirements.
Detailed Operation Steps
Step 1: Prepare the sample to be tested.
Step 2: Turn on the YS3060 spectrophotometer and perform black-and-white calibration.
Step 3: After the black-and-white calibration is completed, press the “Print” key to first locate the measurement area through imaging. Align the standard sample to be tested with the test hole, making sure there is no light leakage (as light leakage may affect the test results). Then press the “Test” key; after a beep sound, the measurement is completed, and you can check the test results.
Step 4: After the above standard sample measurement is completed and saved, press the “Menu” key to enter the “Sample Measurement” interface under this standard sample. Align the sample to be tested with the test hole according to the method used for standard sample measurement, press the “Test” key to start the measurement. After a beep sound, the color difference measurement is completed, and the measurement results can be obtained. Compare the results with those of the standard sample to check if the sample is qualified.
Based on the measurement results, customers can control the color difference during the packaging and printing production process, which greatly reduces time costs and labor costs.