The D2 tooth color is the whitest and lightest “D” shade from the vita shade guide, but it is just one of many colors from the natural teeth color chart. People often think of teeth color as white or yellow but this naturally occurring shade is actually reddish-grayish.
We will compare the D2 tooth shade to all the other D colors as well as every other shade. Prepare to be bombarded by images and videos of what this shade looks like.
What color is D2 tooth shade?
The D2 tooth color is a reddish-grayish color even though you may think that teeth are only on the yellow spectrum. It’s not the whitest color nor does it look like the yellowest.
Below is the manufacturer instructions from VITA showing that the D tooth shades have a reddish-grayish hue.
Definitions:
- Color hue – the hue typically refers to the color wheel.
- Color value – the value refers to how “light” or “dark” the color is.
The diagram above shows you the difference between what the hue is and what the value is.
FAQs
D2 is technically not white per say since it is more of a red-grey color. However, due to the value of this shade, it doesn’t quite look grey or red. But, it’ll look more obvious when you look at the darker shades of the D family such as D3 and D4.
This shade is actually whiter than the average color for teeth (A3), which is roughly one shade darker than D2.
Color D2 is not too white because it isn’t even in the top 5 whitest teeth colors. The whitest natural tooth color (B1) which is much whiter than it.
All of the tooth shades in the VITA classical shade guide are considered to be natural teeth colors so yes it is a natural color. It is only if you whiten your teeth beyond these shade ranges that it becomes unnatural. These whiter unnatural colors are called the bleach shades.
How it compares to other “D” tooth shades
The color D2 is the lightest color in the entire “D” shade family, from D2 to D4. Below is a photo of the entire D-color family side by side to give you an overview of what these shades look like.
Below is a video showing what it looks like compared to all the other tooth shades.
Since we know you love pictures, we’ll provide close up photos comparing each of the colors to D2 individually.
Vs D3
The color D3 is one shade darker than the color of D2. The value of this shade is similar to A3 so your teeth color is considered approximately average if you have it.
Vs D4
D4 is a very dark tooth shade and in our opinion, if you have it you should consult a cosmetic dentist for teeth whitening.
D2 vs OTHER teeth colors
D2 vs A tooth shades
Compared to the C tooth shade, the “A colors” are more reddish-brownish and come in shades A1 to A4.
D2 vs A1
D2 vs A2
D2 vs A3
D2 vs A3.5
D2 vs A4
D2 vs B tooth shades
In comparison, the B tooth color is more reddish-yellow and comes in shades B1 to B4.
D2 vs B1
D2 vs B2
D2 vs B3
D2 vs B4
D2 vs C tooth shades
In comparison, the C tooth color is more grayish and ranges from C1 to C4.
D2 vs C1
D2 vs C2
D2 vs C3
D2 vs C4
Is D2 too white?
By no means is the D2 tooth color too white because it isn’t even in the top 5 whitest natural tooth shades. In regards to the level of whiteness, it is eclipsed by B1 with a wide margin.
The winner for the whitest natural tooth color belongs to shade B1.
Therefore, if you personally have D2 colored teeth you shouldn’t ever think that they’re too white by any means. There are people walking around teeth that are multiple shades whiter than yours.
Bleached shades
The classical vita shade guide is for the natural shade of teeth but due to advances in teeth whitening technology, there is a level of whiteness which exceeds it.
These extra white colored teeth are called the “bleached shades” or otherwise more commonly known as the Hollywood whites.
D2 vs BL1
The BL shades are a part of a different tooth shade guide but it is commonly also used for veneers. Of course, the BL1 is the whitest one of its respective color family.
Is D2 a good color?
In our opinion, D2 is a good color to choose for your teeth if you’re getting veneers or if you’re trying to whiten them. It’s whiter than the average tooth color (A3) but it’s also not as white as the whitest natural color (B1). This is a good in between color.
If you whiten your teeth to the shade of D2, it will still look very natural in your mouth. The same can be said for if you were getting veneers as well. The dental veneers will look very natural and not fake if you go with this shade.
Typically it is when people go a lot whiter than the natural teeth colors that the veneers begin to look obvious that you had dental work done.
Best color should match adjacent teeth
Despite everything that we’ve said above, the best color is actually what the natural color of your teeth is.
If you were getting a single crown or single veneer, you’re not supposed to pick a shade that you like or think that looks good. You’re supposed to choose a color that seamlessly blends in with your adjacent teeth and the rest of your mouth.
If that color is D2 then that is the perfect one for you but if it is a different color, you should choose that other color so that it can match. The goal is to have your entire dentition be uniform in color.
Therefore, whether or not D2 is the best color for you would depend on the color of your adjacent teeth!