How it works
Two systems, one tooth
VITA Classical (Lumin Vacuum) shades — A1 through D4 — are the shades most dentists learned with. VITA 3D-Master rearranges shade-taking into measured steps of value, chroma, and hue, so a single Classical shade often sits between two 3D-Master tabs. This converter uses the commonly published approximate conversion table so a Classical shade recorded in an old chart can be ordered from a 3D-Master laboratory, and the other way round.
How to use the result
Treat the converted shade as the starting tab to hold against the tooth, then check its neighbours — one step lighter, one step more chromatic — before writing the final prescription. Note the guide used in the chart so the next clinician repeats the same comparison.
Worked example
A chart from 2015 records shade A2. The converter gives the approximate 3D-Master equivalent 2M2 — value group 2, medium hue, chroma 2 — which is what you would ask a 3D-Master laboratory to match.
Going the other way, a 3D-Master shade of 2M1 corresponds to Classical A1 or D2: two near neighbours map to the same 3D-Master shade, which is exactly why the final check belongs at the chair with both guides in hand.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the matches only approximate?
The two systems organise colour differently. Classical groups shades by hue family (A reddish-brown, B reddish-yellow, C grey, D reddish-grey) and then by chroma, while 3D-Master is arranged in even steps of lightness (value), chroma, and hue. No Classical shade lands exactly on a 3D-Master tab, so conversions are nearest-neighbour matches.
Which system is more precise?
3D-Master's evenly spaced steps make interpolation between tabs more predictable, which is why many laboratories prefer it. Classical remains widespread because decades of shade records and most stock shade guides use it.
What does a code like 2M3 mean?
In 3D-Master, the first number is the value (lightness) group from 0 (lightest) to 5 (darkest), the letter is the hue (L = yellowish, M = medium, R = reddish), and the last number is the chroma (colour intensity) from 1 to 3.
Can I convert a shade from a photograph instead?
Not reliably. Phone screens and cameras shift colour with lighting and white balance, so a photo alone should never set the final shade. Use the physical guide at the chair under consistent lighting, and use photographs only to communicate surface characterisation to the lab.
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