386 - Silver Diamine Fluoride Usage in General Dental Offices: A Louisiana Survey

Purpose: The study aimed to evaluate the current knowledge and usage of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) by general dentists in Louisiana and to identify primary barriers to the implementation of SDF.

Methods: A 16-item survey was emailed to 1719 members of the Louisiana Dental Association (LDA) to identify factors influencing the usage of SDF with general dentists.

Results: From October 5, 2022 to December 5, 2022, 82 surveys were completed with a response rate of 4.8% with 69 identified as general dentists. More respondents were male (53.6%) compared to female (44.9%) and their practice experience ranged from < 1 year to 48 years. The majority are solo owners (43.5%) while jobs in the corporate setting were only 7.3%. Most agreed/strongly agreed that their knowledge of SDF is from either dental journals or online resources (57% and 40% respectively), while fewer stated that they were taught about SDF (25%) or used SDF (8%) in dental school. The majority knew the advantages and off-label usage of SDF treatment. However, only 40% recognized that SDF is Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for tooth hypersensitivity. The most reported perceived barrier to SDF implementation is that they did not learn about SDF in dental school (36%). The majority selected “others” for the frequency of SDF application (39%) and the timing of reapplication (44%).

Conclusions: There is a lack of understanding of SDF among Louisiana general dentists. The main reason for not incorporating SDF into their practice is the lack of training in their predoctorate education.