ICON, which stands for caries Infiltration CONcept, is a gentle, very minimally invasive way to repair unsightly white spots on the teeth that can develop due to orthodontic work or prolonged plaque build-up. These white spots aren’t just early signs of tooth decay but are common side effects of wearing braces or being exposed to too much fluoride. Historically, these white spots have been very difficult to treat, until now thanks to ICON.
What Is ICON?
ICON is an innovative new way to treat white spots on the teeth, which previously were only treatable with invasive methods or by simply waiting until the damage required a filling. With ICON caries infiltrate, micro-invasive technology fills, reinforces, and protects the demineralized enamel without painful drilling or anesthesia. ICON balances out the discoloration caused by porous enamel effectively blending in with the healthy tooth enamel to create one even, healthy, and clean appearance.
How Does ICON Work?
ICON is a topical treatment that is applied by a dentist in a thin layer. This resin settles into the tooth’s pores and halts the progress of decay by limiting the amount of acid that has access to the tooth. ICON treatment also helps reduce the appearance of white spots by blending them in with the color of the surrounding natural tooth. The ICON procedure is relatively straightforward and follows the following steps:
First, you will get comfortable in the chair like you would at any regular dentist’s appointment. Then, your provider will place a rubber dan in the mouth covering everything except the tooth that needs treatment. This is important because the tooth needs to be dry during the ICON treatment, and the hydrochloric acid solution is not meant to be in contact with the gums. The resin infiltrate also repels water and won’t work if the tooth is wet.
Your provider then rinses and cleans the treated tooth. They’ll add the solution of hydrochloric acid, which turns the treatment area a greenish blue and removes about 40 micrometers of enamel. The solution is rubbed in, allowed to act for two minutes, then rinsed away. Even though hydrochloric acid is used to remove the enamel, the treatment doesn’t hurt. The dentist then dries the tooth with suction and air-blowing instruments, waits for about 30 seconds then checks to see if the etching was successful. If there’s no improvement and the white spot is still noticeable, more hydrochloric acid solution is added. The process can be repeated twice.
The dentist then puts clear separation sheets between the patient’s teeth and finally applies the ICON infiltrate with a special tool called a proximal applicator. If the dentist is treating more than one tooth, they’ll use more than one proximal applicator. This infiltrate is rubbed in and allowed to act for three minutes. After that, the dentist cleans the spaces between the teeth with dental floss and cures the tooth with a special light for 40 seconds. They then add another layer of infiltrate to counteract the shrinkage of the first layer. This new infiltrate acts for one minute before the dentist uses a tool to blow off the excess. They’ll cure the tooth again, then polish it.
ICON Results
ICON should last about four months. If the treated tooth has signs of decay, the cavity will not worsen for at least a year and a half after treatment.
Schedule a Consultation
To learn more about ICON treatment, schedule a consultation at Locust Valley Dentists by filling out our online contact form. We service patients in the Locust Valley, NY, and Long Island, NY, communities.
