Resin Infiltration Therapy: A Micro-Invasive Approach to Treat White Spot Lesions in Dentistry

Abstract

Esthetic dentistry is on the rise and new treatments are evolving for treating white spot lesions. Resin infiltration is a micro-invasive procedure used to treat demineralized white spot lesions on the enamel surface. This technique involves placing a low viscosity resin with the active ingredient, triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) on the lesion. Resin infiltration aids in protecting the enamel from further demineralization while preserving its natural appearance. Resin infiltration with TEGDMA penetrates the hypomineralized enamel, masks the white spot lesion, and decreases the visible differences between the white spot lesion and sound enamel. This treatment was previously used to treat interproximal incipient carious lesions; however, it is now being marketed for esthetic purposes. Studies have found that resin infiltration using TEGDMA is effective in treating mild to moderate fluorosis and white spot lesions that may be seen post orthodontic treatment. For example, an in-vitro study by Subramaniam et al. shows resin infiltration’s ability to occlude enamel micro-porosities and mask white spot lesions. Furthermore, in 2019, Garg, et al. analyzed three cases of mild to moderate fluorosis treated with resin infiltration using TEGDMA. In this study, 18 fluorosed spots were measured using visual assessment with digital photographs, a colorimeter and spectrophotometer at different stages. Results of this study showed that 78% (n=14) of the fluorosed lesions treated with resin infiltration using TEGDMA demonstrated a significant improvement (p<0.001) indicating successful masking of demineralized areas. Resin infiltration provides a micro-invasive treatment for masking white spot lesions, which has the ability to bridge the gap between preventive and restorative therapy.