Application and Perception of Potassium Iodide Following Silver Diamine Fluoride Treatment

Abstract

Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) is colorless and alkaline with a pH of 10. It has been used in Japan and other international countries for decades. The Food and Drug Administration gave approval for it as a means of treating hypersensitivity for individuals with chronic teeth pain. SDF is also used as a method to treat and arrest dental caries. SDF application is limited due to its negative esthetic effects, which is a black stain where the cavity was present on the tooth. Topical application of potassium iodide applied immediately after SDF has been shown in studies to reduce the color change caused by SDF. This study used topical application of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) and potassium iodide (KI) treatments on bovine teeth to determine if SDF and KI were efficacious in the treatment for carious lesions. The color change was detected by use of spectrophotometric analysis to determine L, a and b readings that demarcate light and color values following staining. The conclusion was made that the application of SDF followed directly by KI treatment produced L, a and b spectrophotometric values that indicated a significant reduction in teeth staining than the application of SDF alone. Therefore, this study supports the idea that SDF and KI can be used to treat carious lesions on bovine teeth while retaining surface enamel coloration.