A Liquid Treatment Already Used in Children's Dentistry May Also Benefit Older Adults, Review Finds

Silver diamine fluoride, or SDF, is a colorless liquid that has been used internationally for decades to halt tooth decay in young children without drilling. Now, a peer-reviewed scoping review published in 2026 has taken a closer look at whether that same approach holds up for a very different group: adults aged 65 and older.

While SDF is widely recognized for managing early childhood cavities, its effectiveness and clinical applications in older adults have remained understudied. The new review set out to pull together existing clinical evidence on how the treatment performs in people 65 and up.

The authors note this is the first scoping review to provide an evidence-based summary specifically on SDF's clinical applications in older adults.

Researchers identified nine clinical studies, which together examined SDF's effect on dental cavities, gum inflammation, and dentine hypersensitivity — the sharp sensitivity that many older adults experience when teeth are exposed at the root.

The findings were cautiously encouraging.

One single-arm trial reported an 86 percent root cavity arrest rate, while one controlled trial found SDF was associated with meaningfully reduced plaque and gum inflammation. A separate controlled trial found that SDF outperformed a common desensitizing agent in relieving tooth sensitivity.

To date, no major harmful effects have been reported following SDF use in older adults.

That said, the researchers were careful to flag that the evidence base is still thin.

The existing body of research remains limited, and the reviewers call for rigorous clinical trials to establish long-term outcomes, safety profiles, and treatment protocols specifically designed for this age group.

Root decay and tooth sensitivity are especially common in older adults — partly because gum recession exposes softer root surfaces, and partly because many medications reduce saliva, which normally helps protect teeth. A minimally invasive, low-cost option like SDF, if further validated, could be a practical fit for patients who find traditional drilling difficult or stressful.