Abstract: Dental shade guide systems include an elongate holder with a plurality of receptacles for holding a plurality of shade guide sticks, and a plurality of shade guide sticks. Each shade guide stick may include an elongate dentin body portion comprising a dental composite that is relatively opaque so as to be representative of dentin, and an enamel head portion at an end of the elongate dentin body portion, the enamel head portion comprising an outer layer of a dental composite that is relatively translucent so as to be representative of enamel, the outer layer overlaying the dentin body portion at the enamel head portion end of the stick.