How to think/talk about staining
Patient/caregiver education and autonomy are key
- Studies show high levels of comfort with staining in parents of children who were treated with SDF
- Studies on hypothetical acceptability of staining from any parent show varied responses
- Treatment of back teeth is widely accepted by patients / caregivers
- Avoiding needles and surgical intervention often outweighs cosmetic concerns
- Treating baby teeth that will be lost may be more acceptable
- People who do not have regular dental encounters are more likely to accept SDF than surgical interventions
- Blackening may start right away (depending on lighting) and is complete by 1 week
- Standard restorative dental procedures can cover the stain (with opaquers and/or by removal of stain at the external part of the tooth)
References:
Huebner, C. E., et al., (2020). Parents' Satisfaction with Silver Diamine Fluoride Treatment of Carious Lesions in Children. J Dent Child (Chic). 2020 Jan 15;87(1): 4-11.
Crystal, Y. O., et al., (2017). Parental perceptions and acceptance of silver diamine fluoride staining. J Am Dent Assoc. 148(7):510-518.e4. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2017.03.013
Seifo, N., et al. (2021). "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. 21(1):367. doi:10.1186/s12903-021-01730-w
Clemens, J., Gold, J., Chaffin, J., (2018). Effect and acceptance of silver diamine fluoride treatment on dental caries in primary teeth. J Public Health Dent. 2018 Dec;78(1):63-68. doi: 10.1111/jphd.12241. Epub 2017 Jul 27.