ICON in Edison, NJ

Q: What is the ICON dental procedure, and how does it remove white spots?

A: The ICON dental procedure is a micro-invasive treatment designed to eliminate white spot lesions, mild dental fluorosis, and early-stage cavities without the need for drilling or local anesthesia.

White spots occur when minerals are lost from the enamel, creating a porous subsurface. These pores alter the way light reflects off the tooth, making it look chalky and white. The ICON treatment uses a highly fluid, low-viscosity resin that penetrates deep into these microscopic pores via capillary forces, effectively sealing the tooth and stopping early decay from progressing.

Q: How does the ICON treatment blend the white spots with the rest of my tooth?

A: The magic behind ICON is an optical phenomenon based on light physics. Healthy enamel has a specific refractive index (the way it bends and reflects light). When a tooth loses minerals, air and water get trapped in the porous enamel, altering its refractive index and causing it to look white and opaque.

The specialized ICON infiltrant resin has a refractive index that perfectly mimics healthy, natural enamel. Once the resin fills the pores and is cured with a special dental light, the difference in light reflection becomes completely negligible, causing the white spot to blend into the surrounding tooth seamlessly.

Q: What causes the white spots that ICON treats?

A: White spots generally fall into three categories that respond exceptionally well to resin infiltration:

• Post-Orthodontic Demineralization: Often occurring after traditional braces are removed, where plaque build-up around brackets causes early enamel breakdown.

• Dental Fluorosis: Mild to moderate staining caused by consuming too much fluoride while the teeth were still developing under the gums during childhood.

• Enamel Hypoplasia: Congenital or developmental defects where the enamel didn’t form completely or correctly in childhood, leaving pale or chalky spots.

Q: How long do the results of an ICON treatment last?

A: Long-term clinical data shows that the aesthetic and mechanical results of ICON are highly stable. Multi-year follow-up studies have confirmed that the optical blending and enamel hardness remain stable for 4 years or longer without shifting or requiring touch-ups. Because the resin seals the internal pores of the tooth rather than just sitting on top like a temporary paint, it will not flake off over time.

Q: Can I whiten or bleach my teeth after getting an ICON treatment?

A: Yes. Clinical research demonstrates that teeth treated with ICON resin infiltration can still be successfully whitened using standard dental bleaching gels. Once your teeth reach your desired shade, we wait roughly 10 days before performing the ICON treatment to perfectly lock in and match the newly brightened enamel color.