Icon Resin Treatment for White Spots After Teeth Whitening @ Yeonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, Daechi-dong

Hello. I’m Director Yoon Jeongwon of Yeonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic in Daechi-dong.

Have any of you been bothered by white spots on your teeth and found it hard to smile broadly because of them? White spots that usually appear on the front teeth are called white spots (white spot, 반점치, 백색반점), and they can occur for various reasons.

Why do white spots appear?

If the enamel, which is the outer layer of the tooth, does not form properly during development, the tooth surface may become rough, or white or brown spots may appear. In some cases, the tooth may also be formed with an irregular shape, appearing rough or uneven. When the enamel layer is less calcified while the tooth is being formed, it reflects light and appears opaque, usually white.

They can also develop later in life. If a child under the age of 6, when permanent teeth are developing inside the gums, consumes too much fluoride, fluorosis can appear in the permanent teeth. They can also occur when a primary tooth is traumatized or develops decay and this damages the tooth germ (tooth bud) of the permanent tooth inside the gums. In addition, after orthodontic treatment, if brushing is not done properly around the brackets, plaque accumulates on the teeth. If plaque is not removed continuously, cavities develop, and white spots can appear due to demineralization, where the tooth surface erodes in the pre-cavity stage.

White spots that appear after whitening treatment

White spots that were not originally present may appear after whitening treatment. Rather than being clearly defined white spots, this usually looks like the whitening effect has appeared unevenly on the tooth surface, and it generally disappears within a week as time passes.

However, white spots that were already present before whitening tend to become more noticeable after whitening treatment. This is a temporary symptom caused by dehydration of the tooth surface after whitening, and in most cases it returns to normal within a few days.

The following patient came from Singapore because the white spots that became more noticeable after whitening were bothersome and they wanted to improve them. They already had white spots across the teeth, but after whitening the white spots became more pronounced, and they said they were worried because there was little improvement even after a month.

2025. 2. 18 (first visit)

This patient had band-like white spots throughout all teeth, and some teeth showed severe demineralization in a sunken form. Because the white spots covered such a wide area, we informed them that a single Icon treatment might not produce a major improvement and that some teeth might require additional resin treatment. After that, we began Icon treatment on a total of 12 teeth up to the upper and lower canine areas.

2025. 2. 24 (6 days after treatment)

This photo was taken 6 days after treatment. In the case of Icon treatment, it is difficult to clearly show the treatment effect in photos immediately after treatment because of dehydration of the tooth surface. In the actual natural oral condition with saliva, it looks much more aesthetically natural than in the photo, and after about 1–2 weeks following treatment, it looks much more natural. Fortunately, this patient was staying in Korea for a two-week schedule, so we were able to do a one-week checkup the day before departure.

Photo while smiling

The patient was very satisfied with the treatment results and wanted additional Icon treatment on the other teeth visible when smiling. They wanted Icon treatment on all teeth, but ^^;; we additionally performed Icon treatment on the two lower first premolars, which are highly visible when smiling.

After Icon treatment on a total of 14 teeth

Because photos are taken with the teeth dried, a close look may make it seem as if the white spots have not completely disappeared. However, in the actual natural oral condition with saliva, it looks much more aesthetically natural than in the photo.

Before and after treatment of the upper front teeth

Before and after treatment of the lower front teeth

When the patient smiled broadly and said they would no longer need to cover their mouth when smiling, we were truly happy as well :)

Because the white spots were extensive and severe, we expect that if additional Icon treatment is performed later, it may be possible to cover the white spots even more completely.

If the area of demineralization is wide and deep, the white spots may not be completely removed, and depending on the condition inside the tooth, if the porous structure of the tooth is not fully opened, penetration of Icon resin may be difficult. In such cases, additional resin treatment after Icon treatment may be necessary by removing some tooth structure, so we recommend getting an examination in advance.

Building next to BMW at the intersection by Woosung Apartment in Daechi-dong

(opposite Starbucks/Samsung Store)

Yeonsei Jeongwon Dental Clinic, an orthodontic clinic in Daechi-dong, offers

convenient and free parking.

Consultation and inquiries: 02-501-2879