One dentist relates how he applied SilverSense SDF to a decades-old amalgam restoration and quickly saw significant remineralization, sidestepping what had been an almost-certain root canal treatment.
When all is said and done, it’s a safe bet to say almost no one looks forward to root canal treatment—it’s an invasive procedure for patients, and a complex undertaking for clinicians. So, having another option at the ready can be very intriguing. And that, without a doubt, perfectly illustrates how Robert Badrigian, DDS, in Branford, CT, came to discover SilverSense SDF.
When one of Dr. Badrigian’s longtime patients became symptomatic, owing to a “gigantic” amalgam restoration dating back to his childhood, Dr. Badrigian discovered a broken tooth, No. 18. A radiograph was able to clearly reveal signifi cant decay under the amalgam. Drawing on his almost 4 decades of clinical experience, Dr. Badrigian believed his patient was headed for a root canal treatment in the not-so-distant future. But that all changed with SilverSense SDF.
Fosters Remineralization
A 38% silver diamine fluoride formula, Centrix’s SilverSense SDF is an evidence-based solution that hardens and conditions softened dentin, fosters remineralization, inhibits calcium dissolution from hydroxyapatite, and prevents the demineralization of enamel and dentin.1
Although he had read about SDF, Dr. Badrigian remained a bit skeptical, yet curious to see the results firsthand. So, with the patient’s agreement, he opted to try the noninvasive method he had read about—and he reached for SilverSense SDF.
“I liberally applied SilverSense SDF to the hole in the patient’s tooth,” Dr. Badrigian explained. “That was it! The patient returned about 2 months later and I took another x-ray. The tooth was remineralizing. Now, this was a tooth that had enormous decay, and this remineralization was also enormous. It was tremendous!”
Convenient and Cost-Efficient
Fast and easy to use in a convenient 5-mL dropper bottle, which delivers one 30-.L drop at a time, SilverSense SDF paints on with a Benda Micro Fine applicator. It will not stain healthy enamel or dentin, although infected lesions may turn darker. And at $0.80 per patient, it’s also a cost-effective solution, and one that Dr. Badrigian believes can make a sizeable difference in dental workflows.
“I was really surprised and very pleased with how it worked,” Dr. Badrigian shared. “I’ve never seen anything that remineralizes like this. I would tell other clinicians that it’s definitely worth exploring as part of their treatment modality.”
Reference
1. Zheng FM, Yan IG, Duangthip D, Gao SS, Lo ECM, Chu CH. Silver diamine fluoride therapy for dental care. Jpn Dent Sci Rev. 2022;58:249–257.
