HOUSTON – Not many people look forward to going to the dentist, especially children. Now, there's a liquid dentists are using to fight cavities painlessly, without a drill.
"They're going to pull my teeth out,” Uriah Webb said.
Ask Uriah and his mom how much they both dislike the dentist's office.
"Crying, screaming, running, don't want you to look in his mouth,” his mother said.
But those nightmarish appointments may be just a bad memory. Even for someone with cavities. Thanks to a new liquid called silver diamine fluoride. It's been used in other countries for decades, but only recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the U.S. It's marketed as Advantage Arrest.
"What's so exciting about it is it's the first time in modern history really that we have something that can actually arrest the decay process,” dentist Scott Tomar said. “You dab a small amount onto the cavity with a tiny brush, dab it on there for about two minutes, rinse it off, air dry it."
Here's how it works: Tomar said the liquid desensitizes the tooth. The antimicrobial properties also stop cavities from getting worse and it even prevents them.
Too good to be true? There is a downside. It can darken and even blacken teeth.
Despite the risks, this mom says it's better than traumatizing kids to the point they want to avoid dentists altogether.
It's not mandatory for dentists to use silver diamine fluoride,Tomar said parents should talk it over with their dentist.