White Spot Lesions: A Serious but Often Ignored Complication of Orthodontic Treatment

What is it about?

Even though the orthodontic field has seen several advances over the last few years this is one complication that persists. White spot lesions are very commonly seen after completion of fixed orthodontic therapy when brackets are debonded. Previously conducted research has shown that there is a high prevalence rate of white spot lesions which ranges from 50 to 90%. On intra-oral examination, a white spot can be seen as a matte-textured, opaque white lesion. Since the demineralization process takes place below the enamel surface the outer layer only demonstrates pores that affect the natural light refractory properties of a tooth. This is what leads to the characteristic appearance of these lesions.

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Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash

Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Previously conducted research has shown that there is a high prevalence rate of white spot lesions, which ranges from 50 to 90% [5]. In another study, it was seen that the highest prevalence of WSLs was in the canines (48.1%), followed by lateral incisors (32.3%), the central incisors, and first premolars (31.6%) [6]. There was a lesser presence in the second premolars (27.2%), followed by molars, which only reported a low prevalence of 8.9% [6].

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