Volume 58 (2008) Issue: 2008 No#5-6

Determination of the dog teeth color

Author(s): Tihaček-Šojić Ljiljana, Stančić I, Jelenković Aleksandra

Keywords:dogs, teeth color, diffusion

Tooth color depends on hard tooth tissue structures, above all dentine, and is genetically determinated. Nutritive habits and nutrition patterns during the lifetime can influence the change of crystal structure of enamel and dentine and consequently tooth color. The purpose of this research is to determine the color of dog teeth and to compare it to human tooth color. Standardized color key was used, thus overcoming all three color parameters: main color - hue, satiate – chroma and brightness – value. The obtained results show that both colors of dog and human teeth belong to the same spectrum. Dog teeth more frequently have a darker color which can be connected to the fact that their teeth are more worn and consequently a more intensive diffusion process is undergoing due to the changes in crystal structure because of the newly formed bondings of organic molecules into the crystal structure of the enamel.