ICON Resin Infiltration Treatment
If you have or have noticed teeth with white spotty areas on the surface of a tooth, those spots are called enamel bruising, hypo spots, or decalcified white spot lesions. The causes of these white spots lesions vary but common causes include: trauma to the tooth, fluorosis, enamel defects, lack of calcium access to the tooth, infection of the primary tooth that lead to these defects on a permanent tooth, and it is not unusual to develop some of these white spot lesions when braces are removed.
Not only are these white spot lesions visually undesirable, but there can often lead to cavities as well. Some patients do not mind those white spots, but a lot of patients have always wonder if there was anything that could be done in order to help the appearance of those teeth. It is surprising that a lot of times their previous dentist never offered this non-invasive and amazing treatment.
How does the treatment work and what are the advantages?
The basic principle is that the tooth is dehydrated via a chemical process and a resin is applied and absorbed into the enamel creating a uniform layer on the surface of the tooth and removing any color differences. This treatment is a great option for teeth with small white spots that are not at the point of requiring a filling. Best of all, since this treatment does not require any modification to the tooth structure or anesthesia it is non-invasive compared with other alternatives. This treatment can be used on adults and young children.
Are the results permanent?
This treatment is considered to be a long-term treatment lasting greater than 2 years. While complete lesion appearance removal is not guaranteed, the treatment typically does a very good job of significantly reducing the lesion appearance.
Here is what to expect during the procedure:
The entire procedure takes anywhere between 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on the number of teeth and severity of the lesion but it is done in one office visit. It usually doesn’t require anesthetic or drilling.
The typical steps are the following:
- A rubber dam is be placed prior to the procedure
- The tooth and adjacent teeth are cleaned
- A gel is applied to help remove the outer layer of the enamel. This will allow the absorption of the resin. After a period of time, the gel is removed and the teeth rinsed and air dried.
- A chemical desiccant is then applied to the affected teeth follow by air drying of the area
- A chemical infiltrate is applied and excess material is removed followed by curing the area with the curing light. This step is repeated again.
- The affected teeth will be polished, teeth rinsed, and the procedure is complete!
You can see the procedure step by step by watching this video.*
If you are tired of those white spots that have bother you your whole life and if you are interested on this treatment, please call our office or request an appointment online!