ICON: Atraumatic Restorative Treatment in Auburn

ICON ® Restorative Treatment (ART)

We offer atraumatic restorative treatment in Auburn, including ICON therapy. ICON® is a product that we have implemented in our office for some number of years with great success. Icon has two main purposes: it prevents the progression of small cavities on the flossing surfaces of teeth and can be used as a conservative cosmetic treatment for “white spots” on front teeth.

Cavities that form between teeth (on the flossing surfaces) are identified on X-rays taken at yearly exams. They start very small (incipient) and don’t require treatment. However, over time they generally increase in size, which requires treatment such as a filling or other type of dental restoration. In years past, our only option was to meticulously “watch” them over time and if they progressed to an unacceptable level, we would intervene by removing tooth structure to some capacity. ICON® is an innovative dental technique we use in pediatric dentistry and adult care to restore cavitated teeth without requiring the removal of healthy tooth structure. There is a chance that the cavity progresses and a filling is eventually needed, however, delaying this process as long as possible is a huge benefit to our patients and minimizes the need for invasive procedures.

ICON dental treatment in Auburn works by using a sequence of conditioning materials to cleanse the tooth surface, followed by an invisible resin that covers the affected area. This technique is effective because it does not involve significant decay removal or tooth structure loss, making it a good oral health choice. You can think of this material as clear nail polish. The biggest benefit here is that we do not need to remove any tooth structure and we very rarely need to deliver anesthetic/numbing.

Call Timothy Hess DDS, our ICON dentist in Auburn, today to schedule your appointment for atraumatic restorative treatment.