Silver diamine fluoride - an overview of the literature and current clinical techniques

Dental caries continues to affect the British population, despite advances in prevention and management options. There are many treatment and preventive treatment strategies to address dental caries. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a colourless alkaline solution containing silver and fluoride, which forms a complex with ammonia and has proven to be effective in management of dental caries. Additional dental benefits of SDF continue to be explored and discussed in the literature. SDF is a relatively new material which can be used to reduce and crystallise dental caries in a simple non-invasive treatment modality without the use of local anaesthetic. It can thus be well tolerated by children as a treatment technique and can be quickly applied to the isolated tooth without the need for extensive excavation. Currently, SDF is classified in the UK as a desensitising agent; however, it may be reclassified as a caries treatment agent at some stage and thus provide an effective non-invasive treatment for children's tooth decay. This would prevent the multiple admissions for dental extraction under general anaesthetic, as a simpler approach can be provided. This article will evaluate and review the literature behind SDF and provide details on its use and clinical application.