Fluorosis is an oral disease caused by too much fluoride present in the tooth enamel. Fluorosis is manifested by the presence of white or yellowish lesions on the surface of the teeth.
What is the origin of fluorosis
Fluorosis can have its origin in circumstances that we already experience from childhood. In fact, it mainly occurs in individuals who drank large quantities of tap water containing large quantities of fluoride as children.
Furthermore, during childhood, fluoride can also be inadvertently ingested during the phases of daily dental hygiene. Many toothpastes are based on fluoride and in childhood children are likely to ingest parts of it.
What are the consequences of an excess of fluoride?
The high presence of fluorine can negatively affect the development of the teeth especially in the phase of mineralization of the enamel. Fluoride also alters the development of enamel prisms, a condition that brings out the most frequent symptoms of fluorosis:
- speckled enamel
- brownish or yellowish lesions
- pitted surfaces and thin, horizontal streaks
The benefits of an adequate intake of fluoride
Fluoride is an essential element in the prevention of carious lesions when taken in the recommended quantities. In fact, fluorine improves the resistance of the dental enamel to the acids present in the oral cavity.
How is fluorosis treated?
One of the tools for the clinical evaluation of fluorosis is the Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosis, an index through which a score is assigned to all the surfaces of the teeth, thus allowing to distinguish between different degrees of corrosion and/or colouration.
Based on the severity and diffusion of fluorosis, the dentist can establish different therapies. Among the most frequent treatments are:
- micro/macro abrasions
- dental bleaching
- composite restorations
- dental veneers
- prosthetic crowns.
However, it is possible to treat this type of pathology also through resin infiltration, a therapy that has proven to be very effective as well as being minimally invasive.
The validity of the treatment with resin infiltration was confirmed by a study carried out at the Department of Surgical Sciences, Pediatrics and Gynecology of the University of Verona.
All patients presenting non-pitted fluorotic lesions of the tooth enamel were included in the sample.
All defects were handled by the same operator using ICON resin.
Some parameters were therefore evaluated by asking patients directly for detailed information on:
- sensitivity of the teeth after treatment
- satisfaction with the duration of the treatment
- pain experienced during the application of the resin.
Lesion parameters were also considered: extension and depth through the Tooth Surface Index of Fluorosyl
Parameters were evaluated: before treatment, after treatment, every 3 months during the follow-up period.
The results
Regarding the degree of aesthetic dissatisfaction, patients reported a remarkable improvement.
As regards sensitivity during treatment, no one reported having experienced any particular discomfort, except for one patient who, however, had periodontal impairment.
Nineteen patients reported no sensitivity following treatment, while another 11 reported slight sensitivity, which disappeared in the following 72 hours. All patients were satisfied with the duration of treatment.
Overall, the authors of the research highlighted in their conclusions that the resin infiltration technique seems to be a valid option to resolve the white lesions caused by fluorosis with stable results over time on a large sample of lesions.
