Photo by Diane Rodriquez
Second-graders at Siletz Valley Schools present their tribute to veterans during the Veterans Ceremony on Nov. 10. Each class - kindergarten through 12th grade -
honored the veterans in attendance in some way. Both Tribal Chairman Delores Pigsley and Brigadier General (check title) Dave Enyeart spoke at the ceremony.
Enyeart also is chief of the Toledo Police Department.
Tooth Talk: Silver bullets, a strike at decay
By Mary Ellen Volansky, RDH, MS
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) has
been called “a caries silver fluoride bul
let.” You remember the bullet destined to
reach its target - in this case cavities - stop
them and prevent them from coming back.
Silver (Ag) has been known to kill
disease-causing organisms when the Ag is
at concentrations at or greater than 50 ppm
(parts per million). Fluoride in drinking
water is kept at a level of .7 ppm. This is
offered as a reference point for this means
of measuring.
Silver currently is used for the follow
ing purposes: acute bum coverings, cath
eter linings, water purification systems,
hospital gowns and caries prevention.
Silver is even part of the mixture for an
amalgam or silver-colored filling in a tooth.
One hundred to 200 years ago, Japanese
and Southeast Asian people used iron mixed
with other chemicals to blacken their teeth.
This was done as a sign of a girl ready to
many and also to hide the suggestion of evil
spirits or the wildness of animals believed
to be in their white teeth. Thus, men were
known to blacken their teeth as well.
How does this connect to SDF? It will
stain black the area on which it is placed.
And it will stop decay.
A cavity is tooth material that has
softened. The acid from bacteria eats or
leaches/sucks the minerals out of teeth and
leaves only softness. SDF actually hardens
this softened material of a decayed tooth.
But who wants healthy teeth that are
black? Some Asian cultures wanted the
black for their teeth but did not know the
blackening material would save their teeth.
Today, steps can be taken to utilize
SDF. Suggested uses include baby teeth
that will be lost in a few years, for a patient
unreceptive to treatment and as a cavity
liner under a filling to keep a new cavity
from forming under the filling (from bac
teria slipping under the filling).
Work is being done to study silveo
diamine fluoride and silver fluoride. TheJ
Food and Drug Administration is working’
on one formulation that is hoped will stop
decay and not stain our teeth. I’ll keep
you informed of the progress. In fact, I’ll
be in a class on these two substances this
coming spring. You’ll get an update then.
Emergency dental visits available - Contact the Siletz Community Dental
Clinic if you experience dental pain or a dental emergency. The staff will do every
thing possible to see you as soon as reasonably possible. Check-in time is Monday-
Thursday from 8:30-9 a.m. and Friday from 10-10:30 a.m. Afternoon check-in time is
Monday-Friday from 1-1:30 p.m.
Photos by Diane Rodriquez
Robert Kentta talks about Siletz history and culture at Native American Heritage Month festivities at the
Lincoln City Cultural Center on Nov. 12. Selene Rilatos made a presentation on contemporary Siletz arts
and crafts and Esther Stutzman shared her storytelling talents during two different weekends of activities.
December 2011
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Siletz News
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