Silver Diamine Fluoride

When it comes to treating dental cavities, receiving a dental filling is still the best treatment. However, here at Little Rockies Kids Dental, we now offer Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF), a liquid treatment that can prevent and stop dental cavities in your child’s baby teeth.

SDF is not a substitute for a dental filling, but it has been shown to stop tooth decay in its tracks. It’s proven very useful for keeping decay in check until your child’s baby teeth fall out. For many parents, silver diamine fluoride is a simpler and more cost-effective alternative to traditional dental fillings.

What is Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF)?

SDF is a liquid that kills the kind of bacteria that causes tooth decay. Because of its bacteria-killing abilities, silver has been used for many years in order to treat a variety of diseases and conditions. In addition to the antimicrobial benefits of silver, SDF also incorporates the restorative and protective qualities of fluoride. This is what allows silver diamine fluoride to stop dental cavities from growing and protecting the teeth from further tooth decay. 

If you’re concerned about the safety of silver diamine fluoride, don’t be. It has been approved by the FDA and has shown no adverse reactions. The only real concern regarding SDF is aesthetic in nature. This is because the treatment can cause the area of the tooth damaged by dental cavities black and can also temporarily stain the gum tissue. However, this is often a much better solution that the cost and time required to receive a dental filling.

Candidates for Silver Diamine Fluoride 

SDF is not a long-term solution for dental cavities like a filling would be. But for baby teeth, it can prove to be an excellent option for controlling cavities. Some of the best candidates for silver diamine fluoride treatments would be:

• Children at a high risk for dental cavities, either due to genetics or other factors
• Children who suffer anxiety or have behavioral challenges that can make dental procedures more difficult
• Children who have hard-to-treat or multiple dental cavities
• Special needs children

For many of our patients here at Little Rockies Kids Dental, SDF can be the best solution for their dental cavities. If your child has multiple dental cavities in his or her baby teeth or suffers from behavioral or anxiety-based issues, please talk to us about silver diamine fluoride. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about this helpful new treatment!