Everyone wants pearly white teeth and a smile they can proudly show off to the world. But the development of white spots on your teeth may hinder them from achieving this. These white spots are not only bad for your teeth, but for your overall oral health, and should be addressed as soon as possible.
What causes white spots?
White spot lesions are a sign of early decay and there are multiple reasons for their occurrence. The most common cause of these white spots is overexposure of fluoride to the teeth known as fluorosis. Some other causes include thinning of tooth enamel commonly referred to as enamel hypoplasia, demineralization of the enamel on the teeth, as well as a low calcium diet and poor oral hygiene.
Regardless of what may have caused these white spots on your teeth, they can lead to larger issues. They can cause you pain if left untreated, and will take your beautiful smile away from you. There is hope, though, with a minimally invasive procedure that can have your smile and confidence back in no time.
The procedure
The procedure is called Icon Resin Infiltration, a minimally invasive procedure that can be completed in under an hour. It doesn’t require any needles, drilling or sedation, so there is no major surgical aspect to the procedure.
If you and your dentist decide that Icon Resin Infiltration is the right procedure for eliminating your white spots, your dentist will…
- remove any debris that may get in the way of the procedure first.
- remove the outer layer of enamel that is blocking calcium and other ions from entering the tooth.
- Apply a finishing substance to the surfaces that have not been improved from the enamel removal.
- A drying agent will be applied to the affected teeth and removal of excess material will be completed.
- Then a curing substance and another run-through to remove any material left over will close out this procedure.
Icon Resin Infiltration benefits
The procedure is quite simple and will give amazing results both for your teeth’s health and for their overall appearance. The great thing about this treatment is it’s a long-term solution, lasting anywhere from two to six years or even longer depending on the age of the patient. Icon resin infiltration is also much longer lasting than other teeth whitening, making it a better option for most people.
Another appealing aspect of Icon Resin Infiltration is that it’s much less invasive than veneer implants. The procedure can also be performed on developing teeth — as veneers can only be applied to fully developed teeth — making this an ideal solution for children who may have white spot lesions.
White spots tend to actually look worse when people try to treat them with other, off-the-shelf teeth whitenings. With Icon Resin Infiltration, your natural tooth colour will be achieved and your smile will be looking as good as new.
Conclusion
If you have concerns about your teeth — and white spots developing on them — a dentist can recommend the right solution for you. Book a visit to find out how we can help you keep your teeth strong, healthy and beautiful.
About The Author
Dr. Jacqueline Gaudet
Chief Dental Officer - ASAP pathway comprehensive provider
Dr. Gaudet graduated as a doctor of medicine in dentistry (DMD) from the University of Montréal in 1998. Since then, she has spent thousands of hours on advanced training throughout Canada and around the world.
With experience, she has found that the “drill and fill” approach to dentistry does not make for long term success in dental and overall health. Her research and education has inspired her to take a global health approach to dental care using an evidence-based system to address the whole body.
“Many dental and oral health issues relate to lifestyle habits and/or underlying health issues,” she says. “The goal of Oceana Dental’s comprehensive new patient examination is to find the root cause of disease in the oral cavity so it doesn’t progress and cause more harm to the patient’s overall health.”
Commenting on the pace of technological improvement and the advances in research, she says, “it’s a great time to be a dentist!”
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