Dr Mfolo qualified as a dentist at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. She joined the University of Pretoria (UP) as a full time lecturer since 2010. Dr Mfolo was extensively involved in the clinical supervision, teaching and training of undergraduate students in dental materials, paediatric dentistry, endodontics and basic restorative dentistry. She was also a guest lecturer for postgraduate programmes in Paediatric Dentistry and Aesthetic Dentistry. Dr Mfolo obtained a post graduate diploma in Aesthetic Dentistry and also in Community Dentistry from UP. She co-ordinated the preventive dentistry modules and various outreach projects in the Department of Community dentistry. Dr Mfolo’s research interest is on minimum intervention dentistry (MID), maternal and child oral health advocacy. She completed her MSc programme with her dissertation focussed on Early Childhood Caries (ECC) and maternal oral health.
Despite significant advances in preventive dentistry, early childhood caries continues to pose a considerable clinical and public health challenge. Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) represents not merely a therapeutic adjunct, but an evidence-based intervention that challenges deep-rooted restorative paradigms and requires a reconsideration of both clinical practice and dental curricula.
The lecture will critically appraise the scientific fundamentals and clinical efficacy of SDF, including its biochemical mechanisms, caries-arrest outcomes, and safety profile as established through contemporary systematic reviews and international clinical guidelines. Moving beyond clinical effectiveness, the session will interrogate the broader implications of SDF for paediatric dentistry as a discipline, particularly its alignment with minimally invasive dentistry, caries management, and equity-oriented care.
The session will explore pedagogical implications of SDF and strategies for integrating SDF into paediatric dentistry curricula that reflect contemporary evidence and societal needs.
