ICON Resin Infiltration to remove white spots
Resin infiltration is a minimally invasive procedure to remove white spot on tooth enamel. This infiltration technique using fluid resin proved to be an effective alternative compared with traditional approach that requires drilling and removal of tooth structure.
Fluorosis
In this part of the world, fluorosis is a common cosmetic dental problem. It results in white or brown (if severe) speckles on tooth enamel affecting aesthetic of the smile. Ingestion of excessive fluoride during the development of permanent teeth at toddler age can disrupt the enamel formation, leading to fluorosis. Thus, dentist advocates parents to supervise their children during toothbrushing and squeeze the toothpaste for them. A smear layer of fluoridated toothpaste is sufficient. Children are encouraged to rinse and not to swallow the toothpaste. Despite the appearance, fluorosis is purely a cosmetic problem, affected teeth are not more susceptible to cavities than normal enamel.
Other causes of white spot
- Demineralisation (early reversible sign of tooth decay)
- Enamel hypoplasia (hereditary, medicines, nutritional deficiencies)
- Trauma to teeth
- Preterm birth
- Post ortho white spot lesion
How is ICON resin infiltration done?
First, our dentists will carefully examine and diagnose the cause and severity of the enamel defect. ICON resin infiltration is usually done in a single visit and doesn’t require local anaesthesia injection. The whole treatment usually takes anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Step 1 :
Isolation of the affected teeth using rubber dam
Step 2:
Application of etchant to remove the outer less porous layer
Step 3:
Rinse and dry. Application of ICON dry ethanol solvent on the lesion to preview the result. Repeat Step 2 if necessary.
Step 4:
Infiltrate the lesion with ICON TEGDMA based infiltrant for 3 minutes and light cured. Repeat and polish the surface. Voila!
Science
Visible defect in enamel occurs due to the air present in the subsurface porosities. The opaque appearance of white spot happens because light is scatter within the body of the enamel defect. The different refractive index of enamel (1.62-1.65) and than that of air (1.00) leads to this optical effect. Thus, infiltrating the white spot with an resin infiltrant (TEGDMA) that has a refractive index of 1.52 is able to mask the enamel defect.
This phenomenon can be illustrated by filling glycerin into a container filled with broken glass pieces. Watch the video here.
Benefits
- Single visit
- No drilling
- Painless, no local anaesthesia needed.
- Less invasive than fillings or veneers
- Can be done at young ages where veneers is generally not recommended
Does it always work? How long it can last?
ICON resin infiltration is considered a long term treatment. Researches show good stability even after 2 years. Clinically, it is not uncommon to see stable result that last more than 5 years or even longer.
Most of the time, it can effectively fade the white or brown spots. However, we cannot guarantee 100% removal of the enamel defect as some of the affected lesions are deeper in enamel structure. Worse case scenario – there is no change in appearance. But at least there is nothing invasive or irreversible done to the tooth yet.
