I recently had a resin infiltration procedure done on my front tooth at JL Dental Clinic by Dr. Joel.

1. Time: 1 hour plus

The whole process took around 70 minutes

2. Why resin infiltration?

General whitening treatments weren’t effective for my condition, as fluorosis is caused by excessive intake of fluoride during tooth development, leading to hypomineralization of the enamel.

Fluorosis is a condition caused by excessive intake of fluoride during tooth development. When too much fluoride is ingested during childhood, it can cause hypomineralization of the enamel, resulting in white or brown spots or streaks on the teeth. Fluorosis can also cause pitting, staining, or even enamel erosion in severe cases.

3. What motivates me

I had only met one friend who has the same condition as I did. Her front teeth were also spotted, only the front teeth.

She went to see Dr Joel 2 years before me, and her teeth are still sparkly today.

4. What to avoid after

Food and drink that colours your teeth

Curry Photo by khloe arledge on Unsplash

Coffee Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Malaysia hotpot Photo by Peijia Li on Unsplash

wine Photo by Jeff Siepman on Unsplash

Tea Photo by TeaCora Rooibos on Unsplash

Squid ink Photo by Edward Howell on Unsplash

5. What happen during the process

During the resin infiltration process, Dr. Joel applied a special resin material to my affected tooth. The resin penetrated the enamel and filled in the pores that had been created by the demineralization process. This made my tooth look more even in color and texture, and the white spots were significantly less noticeable.

A. Acidic Etching

The tooth is dried and a special gel is applied to the surface of the tooth. This gel contains hydrochloric acid, which etches the enamel and opens up the pores, allowing the resin to penetrate deeper into the tooth.

Doctor said he took about 10 cycles on my teeth for this process

B. Resin and UV

After the etching process is complete, the gel is rinsed off, and the tooth is dried once again. The resin material is then applied to the surface of the tooth, where it infiltrates the pores and fills in the areas of demineralization. The resin is then cured with a special light, which hardens and bonds the material to the tooth surface.

5. Immediate effect

Resin infiltration @ JL Dental Clinic

Looks weird

The front tooth look like porcelain, and the rest of the teeth look white. Doctor explain that it’s due to the repeat blow drying during the process. He kept drying the surface so that he can work on them.

But its only about 4 hours then it looks normal again.

Non-invasive and painless

Other than some slight polishing, mild scaling, nothing much else

The entire resin infiltration process took 70 minutes, condition various depending on the extent of the damage. It is a non-invasive treatment that is generally painless and does not require anesthesia.

Result

6. Clinic and parking

Park at Megah Rise Mall. The clinic is right in-front of the mall.

JL Dental Clinic

7. Cost

cost RM600, with each tooth costing RM300.

8. Worth it

Overall, I’m very happy with the results of my resin infiltration procedure. My front tooth looks much better, and I feel more confident about my smile. If you’re dealing with fluorosis and general whitening treatments haven’t worked for you, I would definitely recommend considering resin infiltration as an option.