Color restoration and stability in two treatments for white spot lesions.

This study evaluated the effectiveness of resin infiltration or enamel microabrasion for restoring color changes caused by incipient carious lesions as well as the color stability achieved by these treatments. Enamel specimens were subjected to cariogenic challenge to produce white spot lesions (WSLs) using a microcosm biofilm model. These lesions were treated with resin infiltration or enamel microabrasion (n = 8), and color changes were measured with a spectrophotometer at baseline and after the treatments. Untreated specimens were used as a control. The treated specimens were then immersed in coffee for 1 week, and tooth color was measured again. Data for ΔL*, Δa*, Δb*, and ΔE were analyzed by two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey's test (α = 0.05). Caries induction resulted in significant color changes, mainly decreased lightness. Neither resin infiltration nor enamel microabrasion were able to restore tooth color. The specimens subjected to resin infiltration and the control specimens were more susceptible to color changes following immersion in coffee. In conclusion, enamel microabrasion and resin infiltration were unable to restore the initial tooth color observed prior to WSL induction. Moreover, resin-infiltrated enamel seems more susceptible to staining solutions than enamel subjected to microabrasion.