Silver diamine fluoride is a special solution applied to a child’s cavity to stop it from growing and causing further decay.
If your child has a cavity, you may be wondering if silver diamine is safe for them. Keep reading to understand how it works and whether your child should get this treatment.
Younger children with cavities might not be suitable for dental filling. As a result, a dentist could recommend silver diamine fluoride. The solution is applied directly to the cavity and acts as a barrier, so harmful bacteria cannot continue to damage the child’s tooth.
However, silver diamine fluoride isn’t suitable to treat large cavities. It’s a solution that works for minor to moderate cases.
The treatment is very simple and doesn’t cause any discomfort. Since the cavity is small, it most likely hasn’t caused any painful symptoms yet, so your child can be spared the drill.
Here’s how a dentist will apply the silver diamine fluoride:
And that’s it!
Silver diamine fluoride is generally considered safe for children. It’s an FDA-approved treatment for addressing cavities, and no severe reactions have been reported when using it.
The side effects can include slight irritation to the gums if the dentist doesn’t isolate the tooth well enough. However, it’s usually mild and goes away soon. The child may also have a metallic taste in their mouth at first. No other long-term side effects have been reported. It does, however, stain the tooth black, so is only recommended for baby teeth.
Children with silver allergies will not receive this treatment due to the potential side effects. Other than that, your child can most likely get this treatment without issue.
This depends on several factors, such as how large the child’s cavity is or whether this specific treatment will work best for them.
There are many other ways to treat a pediatric cavity, so it’s best to take your child to a pediatric dentist near you to find out your specific options.
If you’ve recently noticed your child has a cavity and are wondering if silver diamine fluoride can help them, Dr. Matthew Gustafsson can help answer that.
Bring your child in for an appointment to find out the best way to restore their oral health and make sure their smile is happy and healthy.
Request a consultation at Truckee Pediatric Dentistry and stop by to learn more. We can’t wait to meet you and your little one.
Need more information first? Then call our office at (530) 550-9311 today for a short chat.
