A systematic review on the effect of silver diamine fluoride for management of dental caries in permanent teeth

Abstract

Objectives The objective of this review is to assess the available literature systematically related to the effect of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) for the management of occlusal and root carious lesions in permanent teeth regardless of age. Materials and Methods This systematic review was conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐Analyses statement. A literature search was performed using PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, DOAJ, and Open Gray with no language restrictions up to December 2022. Three reviewers critically assessed the studies for eligibility. Any disputes between the reviewers were handled by a fourth independent reviewer. The quality assessment and data extraction of the studies were performed. Results A total of 2176 studies were screened. The titles and abstracts of the studies were then reviewed ( n = 346), and 52 studies met the search criteria. Following the full‐text review, 11 studies investigated the effect of SDF against other treatments such as chlorhexidine, sodium fluoride, ammonium bifluoride, tricalcium silicate paste, casein phosphopeptide amorphous calcium phosphate, glass ionomer cement (GIC) combined with fluoride varnish, resin‐modified GIC, and atraumatic restorative treatment were assessed. Conclusions Within the limitations of this review, the use of SDF is promising with high preventative fractions in permanent teeth of children and older populations when compared to other topical applications such as dental varnish containing sodium fluoride.

Efficacy of Topical Strategies to Prevent the Onset of Root Caries Lesions, In vitro.

“…Consistently with our results, a meta-analysis revealed that both SDF and CHX are clinically effective in reducing new root caries lesions compared to placebos, but with SDF showing a better effect than chlorhexidine [56]. SDF has shown higher preventive fractions, when compared to other topical applications like NaF varnish [21,22,57], even when tested in dependent or institutionalized elderly individuals [24]. However, other authors have not found significant differences between the use of fluoride varnish and SDF [58], not even when adding SDF to fluoride varnish in institutionalized elderly individuals compared to using fluoride varnish alone [59].…”

“…During the last decade, silver diamine fluoride (SDF) has had a prominent role as an effective preventive method of dental caries, both in enamel caries [18][19][20][21][22], as on root lesions [23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. SDF is an alkaline topical solution that contains fluoride and silver [30].…”

Preventive efficacy of 38% silver diamine fluoride and CPP-ACP fluoride varnish on molars affected by molar incisor hypomineralization in children: A randomized controlled trial

“…These findings align with previous studies that have demonstrated the superiority of SDF in caries prevention and arrest, particularly in primary and permanent teeth. 33 , 34 …”

Parental satisfaction and acceptance of silver diamine fluoride treatment for molar incisor hypomineralisation in pediatric dentistry: a cross-sectional study

“…Originating in Japan in the 1960s, SDF's chemical composition, encompassing 25% silver for antimicrobial action, 8% ammonia as a solvent, and 5% fluoride for remineralization, underlines its versatility and therapeutic potential. Also, FDA clearance in 2014 further attests to its safety and efficacy, marking it as a valuable tool in pediatric dentistry 13 .…”

“…Parental acceptance of SDF application on their children's teeth is a subject of growing interest within the field of pediatric dentistry 13 . SDF's clinical efficacy is well-documented, but its acceptance as a treatment option hinges on how parents perceive its outcomes.…”