Silver used in treating cavities

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, August 27, 2013

I read with great interest the article about the medical uses of silver that was published in the June 22 issue.

Silver has been used for years to treat dental cavities in many parts of the world. Silver nitrate was used in the United States until the 1950s, when it fell out of favor because of improved dental anesthetics and filling materials.

Silver fluoride is still used in China, Japan, Australia, Argentina and other countries. The silver can, when painted on the cavity, arrest the decay by eliminating the bacterial infection in the cavity.

Because the out-of-control infection called caries is raising its ugly head again, especially in younger children, silver products are starting to be used again because it is a less invasive and less expensive form of treatment. The nice thing about using silver is many times the cavity can be treated without having to give an injection and, in some cases, a filling will not be needed. Also, when using silver products on cavities once the infection is under control, the fillings can last longer.

Silver also works well on elderly people who have a tendency to get root cavities, which are almost impossible to fill. A downside of using silver products is it can turn the cavity dark.

Fixing a cavity in the presence of an out-of-control dental infection is like calling the carpenters when your house is on fire.

R. Mike Shirtcliff

Redmond