Silver Diamine Fluoride : A Revolution in Pediatric Dentistry

Silver Diamine Fluoride, or simply SDF, is one of the latest products in pediatric dentistry.

It is a liquid with a high concentration of fluoride that is applied to a cavity to prevent it from getting larger.

WHY SDF????

One may wonder, why not get a tooth filling done instead of SDF application?? 

1. A filling or crown would surely be a more long lasting fix, but what if the child is two years old and is unable to behave for a filling?  

2. What if the child has special requirements which make it dangerous to sedate or have the fillings done under general anesthesia?  

3. What if the patient is eight years old or above and will lose the tooth in a year or two?  

These are all reasons to consider SDF in a dental treatment plan.

As costs of dental treatments are increasing with time, it is becoming financially stressful for parents to cope with the costs of child's treatment.  So, SDF may not be long term solution, but if we need more time, it can be applied to the teeth to prevent the cavity from becoming larger.  

TIMING OF APPLICATION:

Usually, SDF needs to be applied Bi-Annually ( every six months) until the final treatment can be completed, or the tooth sheds off naturally.   

Few doctors place it once and follow up a week later for a repeat coat.  

Whereas some dentists will apply SDF and add some sort of temporary restoration on it to further protect the tooth from breakdown.

THE DOWNSIDE:

It sounds too good to be true, right?  There is always a catch, isn’t there?  The downside to SDF is, it turns the cavity black.  

When I say black, I mean black!  

It not only turns cavities black, it turns anything it touches black, as well.  

If it were to touch a child’s cheek, the soft tissue would be black for a week.    

For some children, if they cannot follow instructions and will be fighting the treatment, they are not candidates for SDF.  

For some parents, the esthetics would eliminate SDF as a treatment option completely.  

It is great for baby teeth, because they fall out in a few years and you get a “do over” but the same is not applicable in adults, so it's use in adults is extremely uncommon.   

SDF is not recommended on teeth that have been deemed non-restorable and need to be removed to prevent the risk of infection. 

ADVANTAGES OF SDF: 

No injection is required 

Sedation can be prevented or delayed as the child matures 

Lower cost than a filling
Promotes a positive dental attitude for the child 

I hope you found this HealthFeed informative.

Dr Shikha Sharma Kataria

BDS, MDS ( Paedodontics and Preventive Dentistry)
Dent-Horizonz Dental Clinic,
Gurgaon (Hr), India

+91-9205716200