Achieving an accurate match between tooth color and restorations is the most challenging aspect of restorative dentistry. The process of teaching and learning color matching is an important component of dental education. This study aimed to investigate the effect of different instructional methods on dental students' ability to determine tooth color. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: one group received face-to-face, hands-on training on color-matching techniques, while the other group used a self-guided learning booklet. Each student was asked to identify the color of selected samples using the Vita Classic shade guide before training, immediately after training, and one month later. The accuracy of color selection was analyzed using the Pearson chi-square test, with a sample size of 18 to 20 and a 95% confidence level. The results showed that students who used the training booklet performed significantly better in identifying the fourth sample (P < 0.01). However, in both groups, the color selection accuracy did not surpass pre-training results one month after training. Furthermore, no significant correlation was found between students' gender, use of glasses, and their ability to determine color accurately. These findings suggest that a booklet-based educational approach may be better and more efficient than practical training in enhancing dental students' proficiency in tooth color matching.
