American Dental Association Announces Resin Infiltration Procedure Code

[Fullosseousflap]

From the Icon website

In an interesting development, the American Dental Association has announced a 2013 CDT code for resin infiltration of incipient smooth surface lesions.

The American Dental Association (ADA) has announced that resin infiltration of incipient smooth surface lesions is now covered by a 2013 CDT Code classification. The newly defined classification allows practices to accurately code and bill for Icon® by DMG America, a resin infiltration technology that fills, reinforces, and stabilizes demineralized enamel for the purpose of arresting the progression of incipient carious lesions and removing cariogenic white spots. Resin infiltration is a new treatment that has been gaining popularity as an alternative treatment that ends the "wait and see" approach to caries management, without having to "drill and fill."

Icon is the first product to bridge the gap between prevention (fluoride therapy) and traditional caries restoration. Icon's micro-invasive infiltration technology can be used to treat facial and proximal carious lesions up to the first third of dentin (D-1). Classification from the ADA gives more practices the ability to offer their patients a less invasive, pain free alternative to aggressive treatment techniques. This treatment is performed in a single visit without drilling, anesthesia or the sacrifice of healthy tooth structure. Clinicians can immediately treat upon discovery versus waiting to see whether the caries will progress.

The official classification defines resin infiltration as: Application of a resin material engineered to penetrate and fill the sub-surface pore system of an incipient caries lesion to strengthen, stabilize, and limit the lesion's progression, as well as mask visible white spots.

This is a novel concept and while success will depend upon appropriate diagnosis of the carious lesion, I can see Icon providing a bridge between watch/wait and immediate restoration.

Appropriate diagnostic protocols will need to be developed and radiographic scales of whether to treat in this manner or conventionally will need to be established in an evidence-based manner.

Unfortunately, this will take some time. Hopefully, the dental insurance companies and/or government won't jump into the fray.

However, this conservative treatment of carious lesions looks promising.

</img> </img> </img> </img>


More...