Color of gingival tissues of blacks and whites.

Value, chroma, and hue of gingiva of 100 black and 100 white patients were measured clinically with Munsell color tabs under fluorescent light and under simulated daylight. The color of uniformly pigmented attached gingiva of both blacks and whites was described most often by a value between 5/ and 7/, a chroma of /4, and a range of hues from 2.5R to 7.5R when determined under fluorescent light. The color of gingiva pigmented by melanin in 61 black patients was lower in value (3/ to 4/) and chroma (/1 to /2) but had a similar range of hues compared with uniformly pigmented gingiva. The use of a simulated daylight source instead of a fluorescent light present in the clinic resulted in a modest change in color described by an I of no more than 3.6.