The Basics
What Is Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF)?
Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) is a treatment that’s used to halt the progression of minor cavities and protect your child’s oral health. SDF consists of a mixture of water, ammonia, fluoride, and silver. When this mixture is applied to your child’s tooth, it kills bacteria to stop the cavity from getting bigger, and then hardens and strengthens the tooth, preventing further decay.
This makes it a great alternative to other treatments like fillings and crowns, though it can only be used for smaller cavities. SDF is also usually only used in baby teeth. That’s because the SDF will discolor the surface of the tooth, turning it a grayish-black color.
Obviously, this is not desirable in permanent adult teeth. But since baby teeth will be replaced by adult teeth eventually, some minor discoloration isn’t a big deal, so SDF is an appropriate treatment for cavities in baby teeth.
The Benefits Of Silver Diamine Fluoride
How Can SDF Help?
Non-invasive
Alternative treatments for cavities like fillings and crowns require your child to have some enamel removed with a dental drill. This can be scary for kids, and though we offer sedation dentistry and use the latest techniques to keep your little ones comfortable at Milpitas Children’s Dentistry, it may be easier for your child to get a non-invasive treatment like SDF.
Affordable treatment
SDF is a lot cheaper than a crown or filling, and provides comparable protection for baby teeth, so it’s a better option if you’re on a budget.
Excellent protection
SDF provides excellent protection for cavities, as long as you’re seeing a dentist like Dr. Richard regularly to ensure that your child’s tooth is not continuing to decay. Their baby tooth will remain healthy until it’s replaced by an adult tooth.
What To Expect
The SDF Process
The process of SDF treatment is really fast and completely non-invasive. Usually, you don’t even need to schedule a separate appointment at Milpitas Children’s Dentistry. Dr. Richard can simply apply the SDF after your child’s oral exam and teeth cleaning.
First, Dr. Richard will clean out any debris from the cavity to prepare it for SDF treatment, and he will use cotton balls to isolate the tooth. Next, he will dip a small brush into liquid SDF and apply it directly to the surface of the affected tooth. This usually takes about a minute.
Once the cavity has been fully covered, he will gently dry the area for a few minutes using compressed air. This ensures strong adhesion and prevents the SDF from staining other oral tissues.
That’s it! However, Dr. Richard may also recommend a whole-mouth fluoride treatment with fluoride varnish if your child is at risk of developing further cavities.
Pulpotomies
Treat & Save Infected Teeth
When left untreated, a cavity can destroy the outer layers of your child’s tooth, infecting the nerve and blood vessel-filled pulp that keeps it alive. If this happens, a pulpotomy may be required to restore the tooth. In this process, Dr. Richard will create an opening in the tooth, remove the infected pulp material, and apply a special healing dressing that will help disinfect the tooth and encourage the pulp to heal. Then, the tooth will be covered up and restored with a dental filling or a dental crown.