Color Properties of Demineralized Enamel Surfaces Treated with a Resin Infiltration System

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Esthetic Dentistry
• Caries Management

Background:

• White spot lesions (WSLs) are early signs of enamel demineralization, often causing aesthetic concerns.
• Current treatments for WSLs aim to improve both the structural integrity and visual appearance of the affected enamel.
• Resin infiltration is a minimally invasive technique used to treat WSLs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the in vitro color changes of white spot lesions after resin infiltration treatment.
• To compare the color properties of treated WSLs with sound enamel and untreated lesions.

Main Methods:

• Artificial WSLs were created on 30 extracted human teeth, divided into control and resin infiltrant groups.
• Spectrophotometric and visual color assessments were conducted at baseline, post-lesion formation, and post-treatment.
• CIELAB color coordinates and color difference (ΔE*) were calculated, with statistical analysis using ANOVA and chi-square tests.

Main Results:

• Resin infiltration resulted in a significant improvement in lesion color (p <0.05), with values reverting towards baseline.
• Instrumental color analysis showed significant color changes (ΔE*) between treated and control groups.
• Visual evaluation rated 73% of resin-infiltrated surfaces as clinically acceptable with no perceptible color difference, while control surfaces were unacceptable.

Conclusions:

• In vitro resin infiltration significantly improves the color of enamel white spot lesions.
• The treatment effectively restores L*, a*, and b* color coordinates towards baseline values.
• Resin infiltration offers a viable esthetic solution for managing white spot lesions on teeth.