A device for determining dental material to be used in a dental procedure such that the dental restoration that results will have an appearance that substantially matches a pre-existing tooth appearance, said device comprising: - a memory for storing a database containing a plurality of experimentally determined color values wherein each color value is associated with a dental construction having at least one actual or simulated tooth structure and at least one translucent layer of dental material - a user input device for allowing a user to enter parameters concerning said dental procedure - and a processor for automatically selecting a dental material for use in said dental procedure based upon said user entered parameters and said database of experimentally determined color values.
