HughPickens.com [hughpickens.com] writes:
Catherine Saint Louis writes in the NYT that
silver diamine fluoride, available in Japan for decades, has now arrived in the United States [nytimes.com] after Food and Drug Administration cleared SDF for use as a tooth desensitizer for adults 21 and older. Studies show SDF can halt the progression of cavities and prevent them, and dentists are increasingly using it off-label for those purposes. “The upside, the great one, is you don’t need to drill and you don’t need an injection,” says Dr. Margherita Fontana. SDF is already used in hundreds of dental offices and and at least 18 dental schools have started teaching the next generation of pediatric dentists how to use it. “Being able to paint it on in 30 seconds with no noise, no drilling, is better, faster, cheaper," says Dr. Richard Niederman. "I would encourage parents to ask for it. It’s less trauma for the kid.”
In Japan, Australia, Argentina and other nations, dentists have been placing SDF on caries lesions for more than 80 years [decisionsindentistry.com]. The value of silver ions to treat tooth decay has been known in this country for well over a century. Silver nitrate was commonly used by the forefathers of modern dentistry. When applied every six months,
silver diamine fluoride arrests more than 90% of caries [nih.gov]. In children, applying silver diamine fluoride on active lesions once per year prevents caries in other teeth better than fluoride varnish placed four times per year on all surfaces.
Fillings, by contrast, do not cure an oral infection [therabreath.com]. Bacterial infections also cause acne, but a “dermatologist doesn’t take a scalpel and cut off your pimples,” says Dr. Jason Hirsch. Yet “that’s how dentistry has approached cavities.”
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