White Spot Carious Lesions 6: Repair

• The disappearance of white spots (WS) can be by remineralization and/or surface abrasion (1) .

• The repair process:
       -Demonstrated by in vivo studies (2).
       -Low fluoride levels enhances rate and degree of remineralization (1,3).
       -Remineralized enamel is more resistance to caries attack (more acid insoluble) than intact enamel (4).
       -Repaired enamel has greater organic content which helps resist acid attack (4).
   

• In a human study 71 WS lesions were tracked for 7 years with the following results:
      -9 lesions progressed to caries.
      -25 lesions remained unchanged.
      -37lesions where no longer detectable (5).

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1.    Zero DT, Application of clinical models in remineralization research. J Clinical Dent, 10:74-85, 1999.
2.   Holeman,L et al. A SEM study of progressive stages of enamel caries in vivo. Caries Res. 19:355-367, 1985.
3.    Nuyvad B, Fejerskov O: Assessing the stages of caries lesion activity on basis of clinical and micobiological examination. Communty Den Oral Epidemiol 25:60-75,1997.
4.    Silverstone LM. Remineralization phenomena. Caries Res 11:59-84,1988.
5.    Backer, Dirks J. Dent Res, 45:503,1966.