Caries treatment in Munich with ICON
ICON - Caries infiltration
Early caries treatment with the Icon method
The early stages of caries often proceed without symptoms. Advanced caries, on the other hand, often causes toothache, since the dentin of the tooth is involved, which contains offshoots of pain-sensitive nerve fibres.
If caries is detected early, it can be stopped with the icon method (caries infiltration) - without drilling and in only one session. This modern method was developed in cooperation with the Berlin Charité and the University of Kiel. An advantage of caries infiltration: Healthy tooth substance, which would otherwise be damaged by drilling, is spared!
Icon closes the pores in the enamel
When minerals in the enamel are lost due to incipient caries, a pore system is formed. With Icon the pores are filled up again. This stabilizes the tooth substance.
Caries infiltration takes place in several steps
- Gums and adjacent teeth are covered by a membrane or special light-curing gel
- The surface of the decayed tooth is pre-treated with a special gel.
- The now open pores are dried with alcohol
- With a special low-viscosity filling material, the Icon-Plastic, the pores or the beginning caries are filled and sealed
The tooth is now permanently sealed in the corresponding areas, acids can no longer penetrate the tooth.
interdental caries
Caries can develop particularly easily in interdental spaces, as it is more difficult to clean thoroughly there. Using special, very thin foils, the Icon material is applied to the hard to reach areas of the caries, the pores are infiltrated and sealed.
Caries on smooth tooth surfaces
Chalky white on the tooth surfaces can indicate the beginning of caries. They are not only unattractive, but can also be dangerous. The treated teeth usually regain their natural colour after infiltration. Other white stains that impair aesthetics (white spots, hyperfluorosis, hypomineralization) can also be treated with Icon.
The advantages of the icon method summarized
- Beginning caries can be stopped early
- Healthy tooth substance is preserved because no drilling is necessary
- The treated tooth surface is very similar to natural enamel
- No drilling, no injection, no pain
- Only one session is necessary for the treatment
Costs
The cost of an icon treatment varies from case to case. The costs per tooth are similar to those of a composite filling, but are neither covered nor subsidized by the statutory health insurance companies. With private insurance policies, no general statement can be made, as the coverage depends on the individual contracts. The Icon treatment is billed analogously according to the German Dentist's Fee Regulations (GOZ).
