507 - Silver Diamine Fluoride Efficacy in Reducing Dental Emergencies

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether silver diamine fluoride (SDF) application reduces the number of dental emergencies due to dental related pain or infection in patients waiting for comprehensive treatment under general anesthesia (GA) at the USC Pediatric Dental Clinic

Methods: This retrospective chart review was conducted on charts of children aged 3 to 13 years over a five-year period who were waiting for general anesthesia to conduct comprehensive dental treatment. Patients were divided into 2 groups based on if they received SDF. Group 1 had SDF application while waiting for general anesthesia and group 2 had no SDF application.

Results: Out of 467 charts, 178 (38%) matched the inclusion criteria and 289 (62%) were excluded. Eight (33%) out of 24 patients in Group 1 presented with dental emergencies whereas 37 (24%) of 154 patients in Group 2 had dental emergency visits. The mean wait time for general anesthesia was 223 days for group 1 and 181 days for group 2. A mean of 63% of emergencies occurred in children 3-6 years of age.

Conclusion: In our study, SDF did not reduce the number of dental emergencies. The sample size and data collected were significantly too small to obtain conclusive results. Larger sample size and a prospective study design should be considered in the future.