Abstract: A dental shade guide system for increasing the accuracy in matching an artificial tooth coloring to a patient's natural teeth by providing a plurality of primary shade guides, each guide having a specific chroma percentage made from a predetermined formula. Each primary shade guide has a corresponding plurality of secondary shade guides such that each of the corresponding secondary shade guides has a decreased chroma percentage which is determined by varying the value ratio of the primmary shade guide formula. This is accomplished by mixing the primary shade guide formula in varying amounts with a gray or white modifier. In one embodiment of the invention the secondary shade guides provide a chroma range which in selected applications overlaps with the chroma range of several of the primary shade guides providing the practitioner with a more accurate match. A method for making and using the secondary shade guides is disclosed.