Discussing Silver Diamine Fluoride with patients

Discussing Silver Diamine Fluoride with patients

Pros and Cons to Silver Diamine Fluoride Application

Pros

  • No numbing or drilling needed
  • Stops cavity from progressing
  • Avoids sedation/ general anesthesia for young children and people with special healthcare needs
  • Enables access to care for adults by overcoming financial, logistical, and trust barriers
  • Helps prevent more cavities from forming
  • Gives profound control of tooth sensitivity
  • Enables primary care clinicians to help treat patients that do not have a dentist
  • Cost effective

Cons

  • Turns the cavity black
  • Needs to be reapplied
  • Doesn’t fill the cavity (hole)
  • SDF alone does not comprise a dental home
Illustration showing the progression of staining with SDF use Illustration showing the progression of staining with SDF use

Castillo…Milgrom  J Dent Res 2011

References:
4 – Clemens Gold Chaffin JPHD 2017 1. Huebner CE, Milgrom P, Cunha-Cruz J, et al. Parents’ Satisfaction with Silver Diamine Fluoride Treatment of Carious Lesions in Children. J Dent Child Chic Ill. 2020;87(1):4-11.
2. Crystal YO, Janal MN, Hamilton DS, Niederman R. Parental perceptions and acceptance of silver diamine fluoride staining. J Am Dent Assoc 1939. 2017;148(7):510-518.e4. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2017.03.013
3. Seifo N, Cassie H, Radford JR, Innes NPT. “I guess it looks worse to me, it doesn’t look like there’s been a problem solved but obviously there is”: a qualitative exploration of children’s and their parents’ views of silver diamine fluoride for the management of carious lesions in children. BMC Oral Health. 2021;21(1):367. doi:10.1186/s12903-021-01730-w