CDA Essentials 2017 • Volume 4 • Issue 6

17 Issue 8 | 2017 | N ews and E vents SILVER DIAMINE FLUORIDE New Guidance on Treating Cavities 3 To read the new AAPD guideline, visit http://www.aapd. org/media/Policies_ Guidelines/P_ SilverDiamine.pdf A Heartfelt Thank You to... Exclusive Sponsor of the CanadianDental Association 2017 President’s Installation Dinner CDSPI has generously supported this event for the past 4 years. The guideline conditionally recommends using SDF as a topical treatment for cavities in children. It notes, “After taking in consideration the low cost of the treatment and the disease burden of caries, panel members were confident that the benefits of SDF application in the target populations outweigh its possible undesirable effects.” The main disadvantage of SDF is brown or black staining of carious lesions. The AAPD guideline notes that SDF may be indicated for:  High caries-risk patients with anterior or posterior active cavitated lesions.  Cavitated caries lesions in individuals presenting with behavioural or medical management challenges.  Patients with multiple cavitated caries lesions that may not all be treated in one visit.  Difficult to treat cavitated dental caries lesions.  Patients without access to or with difficulty accessing dental care.  Active cavitated caries lesions with no clinical signs of pulp involvement. Dr. James Nickman, AAPD president and practising pediatric dentist, said in an AAPD press release, “Aside from fluoridated water, silver diamine fluoride may be the single greatest innovation in pediatric dental health in the last century. Given its minimal cost and easy, painless application, it could help close the gap in healthcare disparities.” a Some Canadian dentists started using silver diamine fluoride (SDF) in their practices for the first time this year. In the U.S., where SDF has been commercially available since 2015, an evidence-based guideline on using SDF was recently published by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD).