Silver Diamine Fluoride & Minimally Invasive Pediatric Dentistry | Dr. Jeanette MacLean
May 21, 2026
Should parents be in the room during their child's dental visit? Pediatric dentist Dr. Jeanette MacLean says yes, and explains why. She also walks through how she chooses between silver diamine fluoride (SDF), Curodont and Icon, what the SMART technique is, and why she does far fewer pulpotomies and drilled fillings than she was trained to. In this episode: - Why she now invites parents into the room, with ground rules - Reading each child to find the approach that works - When protective stabilization is (and isn't) appropriate - SDF vs Curodont vs Icon resin infiltration: how she decides - The SMART technique: SDF plus glass ionomer - Keeping kids happy when they hate the taste of SDF - Fewer pulpotomies: indirect pulp caps, glass ionomer and Hall crowns - How GPs and pediatric dentists can work well together 📰 Plus dental news: South Carolina's bill to ban non-competes, the Improving Dental Administration Act (HR 7931), and the AAO's stance on functional dentistry. Dr. Jeanette MacLean is a pediatric dentist in Phoenix, Arizona, and an early advocate for silver diamine fluoride in the US. A 2016 New York Times article about her drill-free cavity treatment helped bring national attention to SDF. ✨ Connect with Dr. MacLean: Website: https://kidsteethandbraces.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@affiliatedchildrensdental Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmaclean/ Chapters: 0:00 Intro 7:30 News 10:15 News: South Carolina bill to ban non-competes 12:18 News: the Improving Dental Administration Act 15:38 News: the AAO and functional dentistry 18:01 Introducing Dr. Jeanette MacLean 21:54 Should parents be in the room? 28:00 When parents had bad dental experiences 31:00 Building trust with parents 33:42 Finding the right approach for each child 37:40 SDF and minimal intervention 39:45 Protective stabilization (papoose boards) 42:53 SDF, Curodont or Icon: how she chooses 47:53 The SMART technique 49:09 When kids hate the taste 51:04 Which SDF she uses 53:04 Nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste 55:00 The treasure tower 1:01:16 How GPs and pediatric dentists work together 1:02:44 Fewer pulpotomies, more glass ionomer 1:03:36 Grinding in kids 1:04:16 Why dentistry resists change 1:08:13 Closing 🎧 Listen to the podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dentists-in-the-know/id1543254763 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Elfj6LX0hCUyp0AgdTsij 📺 Make sure you subscribe to catch new episodes live every Wednesday at 8pm ET! https://www.youtube.com/@dentistsintheknow 🌟 Stay up to date on all the latest dental trends when you follow the DINKs: https://fanflet.com/dinks/social-2