Color Perception of 3D Objects: Constancy with Respect To Variation of Surface Gloss

The effect of Phytosphingosine and bioactive glass-ceramics in preventing dental enamel erosion

This study evaluated the effect of phytosphingosine (PHS) and bioactive glass-ceramic (Biosilicate) on dental enamel in terms of color alteration (ΔE), microhardness, and surface roughness when submitted to erosive challenge (EC). Sixty specimens of bovine teeth (6×6×2mm) were obtained. Initial color (Easyshade, VITA), KHN (HMV-2, Shimadzu), and Ra (SJ-201P, Mitutoyo) measurements were performed. Specimens were separated into groups according to treatments: PHS, 10% Biosilicate, PHS+10% Biosilicate, and artificial saliva (control) and submitted to EC with Coca-Cola for 2 min. This cycle was repeated 4 times daily/15 days. Between cycles, specimens remained in artificial saliva (2 h/37°C). After daily cycles, they were also stored in artificial saliva at 37ºC. Final color, microhardness, and surface roughness measurements were done. Color and KHN data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, Tukey's test; and Ra, by 2-way ANOVA, repeated measures, and Tukey's test (p<.05). The highest ΔE occurred in Saliva+EC (p<.05). Groups treated with PHS presented lower color change than Saliva+EC (p<.05). All the groups presented mean values above the 50:50% perceptibility (50:50%PT) and acceptability (50:50%AT) thresholds, except for control that showed mean value above 50:50%PT but below 50:50%AT. Biosilicate+EC showed higher relative microhardness than Saliva+EC (p<.05), but was similar to PHS+EC and PHS+Biosilicate+EC. Final enamel surface roughness increased for all the groups (p<.05), except for the control. The Biosilicate may prevent enamel mineral loss induced by erosion better than saliva. The PHS associated or not to Biosilicate demonstrated better color stability than saliva.

Whitening efficacy of popular natural products on dental enamel

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of natural bleaching products on the color, whiteness, and superficial properties of dental enamel. Seventy fragments of bovine teeth were obtained (6mm x 6mm x 2mm). Initial surface roughness (Surfcorder SE1700, Kosakalab), microhardness (HMV-2, Shimadzu), color (EasyShade, VITA), and surface gloss (Micro-Gloss 45º BYK, Gardner) readings were done. Samples were separated into five groups (n=14) according to the treatments used: CT-conventional toothpaste (negative control); CH-charcoal; TU-turmeric; BP-banana peel, and CP16%-16% carbamide peroxide gel (positive control, 4 h/day for 14 days), and then brushed for 560 cycles (T1) and 1200 cycles (T2), equivalent to 14 and 30 days of brushing. New measurements were performed after T1 and T2. The whiteness index for dentistry change (∆WID) and Weight loss (Wl) were calculated. CP16% demonstrated the highest (p<.05) color change (ΔE00) and ∆WID (2-way ANOVA, Bonferroni, p<.05). Surface gloss alterations were lower for TU, CP16%, and BP. CT and CH increased surface roughness (p<.05). CP16% decreased enamel microhardness. CH presented medium abrasiveness, and CT and TU, low abrasiveness. The popular bleaching products were not efficient for tooth whitening. Furthermore, brushing with charcoal increased the enamel surface roughness, and CP16% decreased enamel microhardness over time.

Perceptibility and Acceptability of Surface Gloss Variations in Dentistry

OBJECTIVE

To assess the visual perception of observers regarding perceptibility and acceptability of surface gloss variations of resin composites and to determine the limit of perceptibility and acceptability of gloss variations.

METHODS

Eight resin composite specimens and one human tooth specimen were fabricated. The resin specimens were polished to reach a surface gloss, in gloss units (GUs), of 10 GU, 20 GU, 30 GU, 40 GU, 50 GU, 60 GU, 70 GU, and 80 GU, and the human tooth specimen had a surface gloss of 80 GU. Sixty observers were selected to compare the surface gloss of the specimens in a light booth. For the perceptibility assessment, specimens were randomly displayed two at a time. Each observer performed a total of 144 observations. Observers answered two specific questions for determining the level and limit of perceptibility of gloss variations. The acceptability limit of gloss was determined by comparing the resin specimens with the tooth specimen. The observations were performed with dental practice scenarios (illuminant conditions, visualization field, and observers' education). Data were submitted to a nonlinear probit model and nonlinear regression estimation probit (5%).

RESULTS

Differences in perceptibility and acceptability were observed for surface gloss variations (ΔGU) (p<0.001). Perceptibility increased with ΔGU (10<20<30<40<50=60=70), while acceptability decreased with ΔGU (0=10>20>30>40>50>60=70). Acceptability and perceptibility limits were 6.4 GU and 35.7 GU, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Perceptibility and acceptability of surface gloss are influenced by gloss variations. A variation of 6.4 GU was required for 50% of observers to notice gloss variations. Concerning acceptability, observers required a variation of 35.7 GU to consider differences in gloss not acceptable.

Surface gloss and color perception of 3D objects

Two experiments explore the color perception of objects in complex scenes. The first experiment examines the color perception of objects across variation in surface gloss. Observers adjusted the color appearance of a matte sphere to match that of a test sphere. Across conditions we varied the body color and glossiness of the test sphere. The data indicate that observers do not simply match the average light reflected from the test. Indeed, the visual system compensates for the physical effect of varying the gloss, so that appearance is stabilized relative to what is predicted by the spatial average. The second experiment examines how people perceive color across locations on an object. We replaced the test sphere with a soccer ball that had one of its hexagonal faces colored. Observers were asked to adjust the match sphere have the same color appearance as this test patch. The test patch could be located at either an upper or lower location on the soccer ball. In addition, we varied the surface gloss of the entire soccer ball (including the test patch). The data show that there is an effect of test patch location on observers' color matching, but this effect is small compared to the physical change in the average light reflected from the test patch across the two locations. In addition, the effect of glossy highlights on the color appearance of the test patch was consistent with the results from Experiment 1.

Bayesian model of human color constancy

Vision is difficult because images are ambiguous about the structure of the world. For object color, the ambiguity arises because the same object reflects a different spectrum to the eye under different illuminations. Human vision typically does a good job of resolving this ambiguity-an ability known as color constancy. The past 20 years have seen an explosion of work on color constancy, with advances in both experimental methods and computational algorithms. Here, we connect these two lines of research by developing a quantitative model of human color constancy. The model includes an explicit link between psychophysical data and illuminant estimates obtained via a Bayesian algorithm. The model is fit to the data through a parameterization of the prior distribution of illuminant spectral properties. The fit to the data is good, and the derived prior provides a succinct description of human performance.