ICON Fillings...NO SHOT, NO DRILLING FILLINGS!

ENGLEWOOD, NJ – The Doctors, a nationally syndicated television show produced by Dr. Phil, included a live patient procedure performed by Dr. Thomas P. Connelly in a segment on “Life-Changing Medical Innovations,” which aired Friday, October 30, 2009. The 22-year-old patient, Allison, had white spot lesions on her anterior teeth that were a result of wearing braces, which she’d been self-conscious about for 8 years. She had tried whitening and remineralization therapies, but the discoloration caused by demineralization, and common in people who have worn braces, persisted. She had been told the only way to get rid of the white spots was to do bonding, but she was afraid that would not look natural and would chip over time. Dr. Connelly, a cosmetic dentist who practices in New York City, demonstrated how quickly, thoroughly, and painlessly the Icon system from DMG America can be used to eliminate unattractive white spot lesions with no drilling, anesthetic, or loss of healthy tooth structure.

"We’ve got technology now [Icon, DMG America] that with no shot, no drilling, we can make the white spots go away. In the past, we would put composite fillings over it. We’d have to get the patient numb, drill it away, put the filling on. Or in real extensive cases, we’re veneering over the entire tooth…. We can do it now with no drilling and no needles in about 20 minutes,” Dr. Connelly said on the show. “Once this resin is applied, it’s infiltrating into the enamel, and what you’re left with is a hybrid tooth scaffolding with a resin incorporated in it.”

Icon, a caries infiltrant that works by capillary action, is an entirely new, revolutionary approach to treating white spot lesions as well as incipient (or early) dental caries. Previously, dental professionals had only more invasive options for treating anterior tooth discoloration that could not be eliminated by tooth whitening, including microabrasion, veneers, and bonding. Caries infiltration is a major breakthrough in micro-invasive technology that fills, reinforces, and stabilizes demineralized dental enamel without drilling or sacrificing healthy tooth structure.

"Icon represents a new category of dental products,” says Tim Haberstumpf, DMG America Director of Marketing. “Icon is a micro-invasive infiltration technology that can be used to treat smooth surface and proximal carious lesions. It is the first product that can be used in just one patient visit to arrest the progression of early enamel carious lesions and remove white spot lesions.”

Icon, which prevents lesion progression and increases the life expectancy of treated teeth, provides a highly esthetic alternative to other restorative treatments for cariogenic white spot lesions. White spot lesions infiltrated by Icon take on the appearance of the surrounding healthy enamel.

“The Icon infiltration system is simple and user friendly,” Haberstumpf says. This was aptly demonstrated on The Doctors. The patient and show doctors, as well as the audience, were surprised how quickly and easily the procedure was completed. The patient was thrilled. “Oh, I love them!” Allison said after the procedure. “What a difference!”