Validation of a Portable Digital Skin Tone Sensor Compared to Fitzpatrick Skin Type Scale for Tooth Shade Matching in Esthetic Dentistry

Abstract

Background: Assessment of skin tone is a fundamental in esthetic dentistry. guiding the accurate selection
of tooth shade for patients with missing or compromised dentition. While the Fitzpatrick Skin Type (FST) scale
remains a widely used traditional method, digital skin tone sensors offer objective and reproducible alternatives.
However, few studies have directly compared these approaches in dental contexts, particularly among underrepresented populations.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of a portable digital skin tone sensor compared to the
Fitzpatrick Skin Type Scale in assessing skin tone among Yemeni dental patients.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 Yemeni participants (equally distributed between males and females), aged from 18 to 50 years old. They were recruited from dental clinics at the Faculty
of Dentistry, Sana’a University and affiliated private universities. Skin tone was assessed using the FST questionnaire and a calibrated digital skin-tone sensor. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated to
evaluate the agreement between the two methods.
Results: The ICC value between the digital and questionnaire-based assessments was 0.811, indicating moderate to good agreement. Although the digital method tended to yield slightly lower average skin tone scores,
the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.146).
Conclusion: The findings suggest that the digital skin tone sensor provides reliable measurements comparable
to the traditional FST. Its integration into esthetic dental workflows may enhance shade-selection accuracy and
support inclusive clinical decision-making.