A pediatric dentist recounts his journey finding a better way to alleviate hypersensitivity and provide his young patients with minimally invasive treatment
DAVID KEETON, DMD
Dr. Keeton is a board-certified pediatric dentist who attended pediatric residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center after completing dental school at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry. He has practiced since 2008 and is the owner of Champion Kids Dentistry in San Antonio, TX.
As an undergraduate student majoring in biomedical engineering, David Keeton, DMD, was intrigued when he learned about the applications of nanosilver in the medical field. After he became a dentist, he continued researching and experimenting with how that same nanosilver technology, when combined with fluoride, could also offer beneficial results when applied to dentistry.
Fast-forward 6 years to today, and the pediatric dentist now holds a patent for nanosilver fluoride (NSF) use in dental applications.
A Better Way in Sight
“Silver fluoride in the non-nano form had existed prior to this and had great results, particularly for sensitivity, but it also had some drawbacks. I found that the patient experience was lacking, especially when it came to the staining and pungent, burning taste. I thought there certainly had to be a better way of creating the same results, without the drawbacks," shared Dr. Keeton, who owns Champion Kids Dentistry in San Antonio, TX. "Nanosilver allows for the dose to be much lower yet still have the same effectiveness. It seemed to be a logical path to combine the nanosilver and fluoride—along with chitosan—and allow them to work synergistically."
Instant Relief
"Nanosilver fluoride with chitosan is an esthetic, water-based formulation that offers a mild taste and does not stain teeth or other materials," Dr. Keeton continued. "The small, round shape of the silver has strong antimicrobial effects, and physics demonstrates it may lead to faster and more pronounced diffusion."
A simple, 1-step process, it provides instant relief for his patients, with no learning curve and no wait time. Products containing this technology also tend to be more cost-effective.
Minimally Invasive Marvel
“An adolescent, extremely dental-phobic patient had a hypoplastic premolar and was referred to us for a root canal,” Dr. Keeton shared. “We treated the sensitivity with NSF, got the tooth to calm down, and sealed it. No root canal, no crown, and the patient and her parents were thrilled!”
While NSF can treat, for example, geriatric patients with heightened sensitivity due to gum recession, it also has the ability to stop disease progression—a benefit Dr. Keeton has seen firsthand.
“I've documented cases where I’ve treated primary and permanent teeth with NSF, and when the patient returns, the radiographs show an infill of deposits from the fluoride and silver,” he said. “The lesion has not progressed, and in a lot of cases, it’s actually regressed into a smaller size and is fi rm to the explorer."
While the road to patenting NSF technology was a challenging one, requiring significant trial and error, Dr. Keeton said it was a good learning experience. "It's a great way to learn about the industry and yourself," he said.