{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,14]],"date-time":"2026-05-14T19:08:15Z","timestamp":1778785695782,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":47,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,27]],"date-time":"2025-10-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1761523200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Dentistry Journal"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Dental caries, one of the most common oral diseases worldwide, represents a major public health concern. Contemporary dentistry has established several non-invasive approaches and resin infiltration, as a micro-invasive path, in the treatment of white spot lesions (WSLs). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different WSL treatments on enamel surface microhardness. Materials and Methods: Seventy-five intact human premolars extracted upon orthodontic indication and the demineralizing solution composed of acetic acid, monopotassium phosphate and calcium chloride with pH = 4.4 and exposure time 96 h were used. The samples were randomly divided into five groups (n = 15): I\u2014intact enamel (control group); II\u2014artificial white spot lesion; III\u2014artificial WSL treated with fluoride varnish; IV\u2014artificial WSL treated with casein phosphopeptide\u2014amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) paste; V\u2014resin-infiltrated artificial WSL. The surface microhardness was determined using the Oliver\u2013Pharr method and a spherical indenter (Shimadzu Indenter, Kyoto, Japan). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by a Post Hoc test (Bonferroni) was used with a level of significance set at p &lt; 0.05. Results: Resin-infiltrated white spot lesions showed comparable microhardness mean value as the control group: 68.23 (\u00b121.45) and 63.57 (\u00b118.89), respectively (p &gt; 0.05). Also, resin infiltration increased enamel microhardness compared to WSL values, with a statistically significant difference (p &lt; 0.05). Fluoride varnish and CPP-ACP treatment resulted in equivalent values (50.84 \u00b1 14.35 and 50.99 \u00b1 15.31, respectively). Conclusions: Different WSL treatments (fluoride varnish, CPP-ACP and resin infiltration) produced comparable enamel microhardness values. Among the tested agents, resin infiltration resulted in higher microhardness values, while fluoride varnish and CPP-ACP demonstrated equivalent outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/dj13110496","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,29]],"date-time":"2025-10-29T04:26:29Z","timestamp":1761711989000},"page":"496","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The Effect of Different White Spot Lesion Treatments on the Enamel Microhardness\u2014An In Vitro Pilot Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7952-965X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Milena","family":"Milanovi\u0107","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic for Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3776-8905","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Milo\u0161","family":"Beloica","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic for Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2622-6043","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zoran","family":"Mandini\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic for Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7448-3661","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jelena","family":"Juloski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic for Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2460-7793","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Milo\u0161","family":"Petrovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Du\u0161an","family":"Kosanovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic for Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5935-8491","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Milo\u0161","family":"Todorovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic for Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maja","family":"Dimitrijevi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic for Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6512-4934","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aleksandar","family":"Jakovljevi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathophysiology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"},{"name":"Scientific Laboratories, Implant-Research Center, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Milo\u0161","family":"Vorkapi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dragan","family":"Stanimirovi\u0107","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinic for Periodontology and Oral Medicine, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade; 11000 Belgrade, Serbia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1159\/000503309","article-title":"Terminology of Dental Caries and Dental Caries Management: Consensus Report of a Workshop Organized by ORCA and Cariology Research Group of IADR","volume":"54","author":"Machiulskiene","year":"2020","journal-title":"Caries Res."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"380","DOI":"10.1177\/0022034517693566","article-title":"Global, Regional, and National Prevalence, Incidence, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years for Oral Conditions for 195 Countries, 1990\u20132015: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors","volume":"96","author":"Kassebaum","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. 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