A US clinical trial has revealed the effectiveness of a low-dose liquid in stopping tooth decay in more than half of the affected baby teeth, without the need for drilling, injections, or anesthesia.
The study, led by the University of Michigan and published in the prestigious journal JAMA Pediatrics, included approximately 830 children under the age of six from three US states: Michigan, New York, and Iowa.
The new treatment, using silver diamine fluoride (SDF), works by applying the liquid directly to the decayed area using a small, sponge-tipped instrument, a process that takes only a few seconds per tooth.
treatment which requires drilling the tooth, removing damaged parts and placing a filling, "silver diaminofluoride" does not require any removal of tooth tissue, but rather stops decay in place.
The researchers found that a 38% concentration of silver diaminofluoride, when applied every six months, successfully stopped decay in more than half of the affected baby teeth of the participating children.
"This is a very effective and safe treatment, even for children as young as one year old," said Dr. Margarita Fontana, a professor of dentistry at the University of Michigan and the lead researcher of the study.
It should be noted that untreated tooth decay is not only a dental problem, but can also lead to severe pain, frequent infections, difficulty sleeping and eating, absence from school, and visits to emergency departments that cannot solve the underlying problem, ultimately forcing some children to undergo surgery under general anesthesia.
Researchers believe this treatment may be particularly beneficial for groups who have difficulty accessing traditional dental care, such as very young children, the elderly, people with developmental or physical disabilities, patients with severe dental phobia, and people living in areas lacking advanced dental services.
However, the treatment has an aesthetic drawback, as the silver in its composition permanently darkens the decayed part of the tooth. But researchers believe this cosmetic sacrifice is acceptable in exchange for ending the pain and infection and avoiding surgery, especially for baby teeth that will naturally fall out over time.
Silver diamine fluoride has been used successfully in many countries for decades, and in the United States, it has been used off-label since 2014 to reduce tooth sensitivity. But the new study provided the strong clinical evidence that was lacking to convince the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve it as an official drug for treating tooth decay.
For children, applying silver fluoride every few months may be sufficient to control decay until the baby tooth falls out naturally. For adults, it may serve as a long-term treatment or provide temporary protection until a traditional restorative procedure (filling or crown) becomes affordable or practical.
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