Icon Resin for White Spot Lesions: A Minimally Invasive Resin Infiltration Restoration Method Without Removal. Review

As a way to treat white spot lesions without removal,

I’d like to review Icon resin.

I hope many dentists will have a chance to see this.

.

'"Minimally invasive" dentistry,

'Minimally Invasive' Dentistry is

a treatment approach I like.

The goal is to preserve healthy tooth structure as much as possible

and restore the tooth after selectively removing

only the affected area to the minimum extent necessary.

Dentists all know this,

but have you ever thought about whether

we are really practicing dentistry in a 'minimally invasive' way?

If there is a method that does not require removal at all,

I think it is best to try that method first.

If we truly place the highest value on preserving natural teeth, that is.

Photographed on December 31, 2024

This was a patient who came to us after searching online,

because they had had the spaces between their teeth filled with resin at another dental clinic

and wanted treatment for white spot lesions here.

You can see the white spot on one side of the front teeth, right?

Yes, we decided to restore it without removal.

To be honest, what bothered me more than that

was that the resin between the teeth was overhanging (bulging)

and there was a bit of resin stuck messily on the front surfaces of the teeth,

so

I said to the patient,

"I’m going to treat the white spot lesion... but before that, would it be okay if I smoothed this out a little? I really want to do it ㅠㅠ"

and got permission to clean up the messy areas.

Photographed on December 31, 2024

The patient also said the teeth suddenly felt smooth,

and liked how they turned out.

They were also amazed that the white spot lesion had disappeared.

I also felt much more at ease after taking the photo, haha.

Anyway,

white spot lesions can be treated like this without removing tooth structure

by using "Icon resin"

to infiltrate resin into the affected area,

through a "resin infiltration technique."

I like this material.

But, to be honest,

Icon is not 100% effective.

So a bit of technique is needed during consultation.

I hope the dentists reading this will keep this resin on hand,

but I also worry that if they try it and it doesn’t work,

they might quickly lose interest and stop using it...ㅠㅠ

For difficult cases,

there is a bit of a learning curve to using it.

The package includes instructions for use,

and you attach the included tip to the etchant,

twist the cap to express a small amount,

place it on the white spot area,

and gently rub it with the tip.

You do not necessarily have to use the second liquid,

but in cases where treatment with Icon is successful,

applying the second liquid makes the white spot area disappear temporarily.

But if it does not disappear, that does not mean the treatment has failed.

That part is quite ambiguous, isn’t it?

It’s hard to explain the whole treatment method here...

I hope I get a chance to explain it separately.

In particular, multiple teeth can be restored at once with Icon resin,

and in fact, compared with treating just one tooth like before,

this material shows its real value even more when treating multiple teeth at the same time.

That is why it is especially great for treating

"early caries around brackets during orthodontic treatment" all at once.

Leaving it alone feels wrong,

but if you remove it,

the treatment becomes too aggressive,

and I’m sure you’ve thought about that dilemma at least once.

The manufacturer DMG advertises this Icon resin by saying:

"Whether early caries,

white spots or fluorosis -

infiltration with Icon is

painless,

drill-less

and only takes one visit."

And honestly, none of that is wrong.

1. It is painless,

2. No drill is used,

3. Treatment is completed on the same day.

I recommend it.