As told to Danielle Fontana
I’ve been self conscious of the white spots on my teeth for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was a child, I have been confused and upset as to why they were there, and no matter how many whitening strips I used or extra minutes I brushed, they wouldn’t go away. My childhood dentist told me there was really no solution for these spots and that removing them would remove too much enamel and leave my teeth hypersensitive. My adult dentist suggested invasive options like veneers, but I was never interested in such an aggressive option, because regardless of the white spots, I liked the natural shape of my teeth. Then, a few months ago I met New York cosmetic dentist, Husam Almunajed, MD and he suggested this revolutionary treatment for my white spots, sans drilling, called ICON. He explained that ICON uses micro-invasive technology that fills and reinforces demineralized enamel, which instantly removes white spots and lesions. Naturally, I was immediately interested.
A few weeks later, I was in Dr. Almunajed’s chic Fifth Avenue office ready to receive the treatment. I sat down in the treatment room and was offered to watch any Netflix show of my choosing on a television embedded into the ceiling. Unsure of what exactly I was about to undergo, I chose Friends to distract myself from the next few hours.
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Once the treatment was underway, the first step was to use HCI gel to erode the surface of the lesion and open the pore system of the lesion body. Next, the teeth were dried with ethanol before ICON was applied to the lesion and then was light cured. The light-curing was a fairly uncomfortable sensation, but only lasted for a short period of time. These steps were done to each of the six teeth Dr. Almunajed treated—there was a funky taste in my mouth throughout the process and my mouth was super dry from the drying agent—and took about an hour and a half in total.
Once the treatment was completed, I rinsed with mouthwash and water and chugged three entire water bottles. My mouth felt dry and chalky, but once I looked in the mirror, the minor discomforts were well worth it. My white spots that I loathed for all of these years were completely gone!
I was able to eat and drink immediately after the treatment, so on the way back to the office I picked up my go-to quinoa bowl and went on my way. Less than two days later, my mouth was fully rehydrated and my teeth were no longer sensitive. It’s been almost a month since my treatment and my white spots are completely removed. I’m no longer nervous to get up close and personal in front of the camera. Dr. Almunajed and ICON changed my life for the better!