Making white spots disappear! Do minimally invasive treatments improve incisor opacities in children with molar-incisor hypomineralisation?

• Published in: International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry
• Main Author: Warner C.; Hasmun N.N.; Elcock C.; Lawson J.A.; Vettore M.V.; Rodd H.D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: John Wiley and Sons Inc 2022
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85124765666&doi=10.1111%2fipd.12940&partnerID=40&md5=384fd6bf64b0ef375e71d4273ff65a59
• ISSN: 9607439
• DOI: 10.1111/ipd.12940

Background: Children with molar-incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) frequently seek aesthetic treatment for incisor opacities. Surprisingly, few studies have evaluated the clinical success of such interventions. Aim: To quantify the effectiveness of minimally invasive treatments in reducing enamel opacity visibility in children with MIH. Design: This in vitro study used digital clinical images of 23 children aged 8–16 years with MIH who underwent microabrasion and/or resin infiltration for the management of incisor opacities. Standard images were taken pre-treatment and 6 months post-treatment. Image software (Image-Pro Plus®V7) was employed to convert 24-bit RGB images to 16-bit greyscale and 145× magnification. Measurement repeatability was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). Post-treatment changes in visible opacity area (mm2) and brightness (greyscale value) were tested using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for related samples. Results: The mean total opacity surface area significantly reduced from 14.3 mm2 (SD = 7.5) to 9.4 mm2 (SD = 9.0) post-treatment. The proportion of tooth surface affected by the opacity also significantly reduced from 22.5% (SD = 10.5) to 14.7% (SD = 12.7). The mean maximum opacity brightness significantly reduced from 53 066 greyscale value (SD = 4740) to 49 040 (SD = 3796). ICC was good/excellent (0.75–1.0). Conclusion: Minimally invasive treatment is effective in reducing the size and brightness of discrete incisor opacities. Future research should compare objective findings with patient-reported outcomes. © 2021 BSPD, IAPD and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.