Minimally invasive resin infiltration of arrested white-spot lesions: A randomized clinical trial

Background: The authors conducted a randomized, single-masked clinical trial involving patients who had completed orthodontic treatment to assess changes in the appearance of white-spot lesions (WSLs) that were treated with resin infiltration. Methods: The authors divided affected teeth into control and treatment groups. In the treatment group, they restored teeth with WSLs by using resin infiltration. They evaluated changes in WSLs photographically by using a visual analog scale (VAS) (0 = no change, 100 = complete disappearance) and area measurements (in square millimeters). The authors analyzed the data by using two-way analysis of variance. Results: The mean VAS ratings for treated teeth demonstrated marked improvement relative to that for control teeth immediately after treatment (67.7 versus 5.2, P <.001) and eight weeks later (65.9 versus 9.2, P <.001). The results for treated teeth showed a mean reduction in WSL area of 61.8 percent immediately after treatment and 60.9 percent eight weeks later, compared with a -3.3 percent change for control teeth immediately after treatment and a 1.0 percent reduction eight weeks later. Conclusions: Resin infiltration significantly improved the clinical appearance of WSLs, with stable results seen eight weeks after treatment. Practical Implications: Resin infiltration, a minimally invasive restorative treatment, was shown to be effective for WSLs that formed during orthodontic treatment.