The following tips will help Doctors and Auxiliaries increase success rates with shade matching.
The biggest problem with shade taking is that everyone is an expert!
The Patient, The Patient's Spouse, The Patient's next door neighbor The Auxiliary, The Doctor.  However only one person is the final judge… The Patient.

Probably the key factor in successful shade matching is communication.   Patient to Doctor/ Doctor to Patient/ Doctor to Lab/ Lab to Doctor.

CHROMEASCOPE SHADE GUIDE TECHNIQUE CLICK TO VIEW

PATIENT COMMUNICATION

Patient's should understand what is possible and what is not possible, what is natural and what is unnatural.
Patient's should understand what the shortcomings are of certain treatment plans and why one treatment plan should be chosen over another. The perfect scenario is to give the patient a shade which will blend into his/her existing smile.

LABORATORY COMMUNICATION

Everything an office can do to produce an accurate representation of the patient for the laboratory is of benefit.  The most effective of course is a custom shade, having the lab technician come to your office or having your patient go to the lab for a custom shade is ideal.  (If you are sending patients to your lab for a custom shade, be sure you are familiar with the appearance of the lab it is amazing how many Doctors have no idea what the Dental Lab they are sending work to, looks like!