- RESEARCH
- Mar 2024
- Bulletin
Treating hypersensitivity in older adults with silver diamine fluoride
Article published in Journal of Dentistry
Dentine hypersensitivity is common among the elderly.
Over one-third of older adults in China and nearly half of community-dwelling seniors in Hong Kong suffer from dentine hypersensitivity, making complex invasive treatments challenging due to their medical, cognitive, and physical conditions. Professionally applied desensitising agents are thus recommended as the first line of management.
While silver diamine fluoride (SDF) has been included in the World Health Organisation Essential List of Medicines, its effectiveness in treating dentine hypersensitivity has been limitedly investigated.
To address this gap, a clinical trial led by the Faculty examined the desensitizing effects of 38% SDF solution on hypersensitive teeth in older adults. The results indicated a remarkable 60% reduction in medium sensitivity scores (SS) after a single SDF application, surpassing the efficacy of 5% potassium nitrate solution.
Our researchers conducted a review of similar studies in India, Australia, and Peru, further substantiating the effectiveness of SDF in reducing dentine hypersensitivity in adults. More well-designed clinical trials should be conducted to provide additional evidence regarding its use.
- Dr Alice Chan, Senior Clinical Practitioner in Restorative Dental Sciences
- Dr Elvis Tsang, Principal Clinical Dental Instructor in Periodontology
- Professor Chloe Jiang, Clinical Assistant Professor in Applied Oral Sciences & Community Dental Care
- Professor Ollie Yu, Clinical Assistant Professor in Cariology
- Professor Katherine Leung, Clinical Associate Professor in Prosthodontics
- Professor Edward Lo, Professor, Chair of Dental Public Health
- Professor Chun Hung Chu, Professor, Chair of Family Dentistry * According to author list of the journal article