Performance of smartphone cameras for measuring and analyzing dental shade: A systematic review

OBJECTIVE: Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras have been commonly used in clinical settings for dental shade assessment. However, it remains unclear whether smartphone cameras can serve as a viable alternative to DSLR cameras for this purpose. This systematic review aimed to assess the performance of smartphone cameras for dental shade assessment compared to DSLR cameras. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024580518). A comprehensive search was conducted using five electronic databases to identify eligible studies that comprised both in vivo and in vitro experimental designs. Two reviewers independently screened and selected the relevant studies, evaluated the risk of bias, and extracted relevant data for comparative analysis. RESULTS: A total of eight studies were included in this review: three conducted in vivo, three in vitro, and two in both settings. Seven studies used the CIELAB colour difference (ΔΕ*ab) as the primary metric. Overall, the evidence is mixed and does not show consistent superiority of either device. However, there was substantial heterogeneity among the studies in terms of camera models and settings, specimen types, reference methods, and assessment methods. CONCLUSION: The evidence on the comparative performance of DSLR and smartphone cameras for dental shade assessment is mixed and characterised by substantial heterogeneity. Neither device type has demonstrated consistent superiority. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: While both smartphone and DSLR cameras can be viable clinical tools for dental shade assessment, their performance is highly dependent on standardised protocols for lighting, calibration, and image capture.