The Effectiveness and Safety of Silver Diamine Fluoride on Primary Teeth: A Review of Literature

Abstract

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a potent compound for the arrest of dental caries in pediatric populations, demonstrating ease of application and the capacity for utilization beyond traditional clinical contexts. The aim of this study was to perform a literature review on the effectiveness and safety of SDF in arresting dental caries in primary teeth of young children. A literature review was conducted using the Old Dominion University library resources. Utilizing the established search methodology, a comprehensive total of 57 studies were identified across all relevant databases; however, only 13 were clinical trials that specifically evaluated the effectiveness and safety of SDF treatments in primary teeth. The remaining 44 studies were mostly surveys or irrelevant to the effectiveness and safety of SDF, often with titles that did not accurately represent the content of the studies, and primarily focused on parental acceptance of SDF treatments for their children. In general, the findings demonstrated SDF to be effective in arresting dental caries in deciduous teeth relative to alternative approaches, such as fluoride varnish and atraumatic restorative treatment (ART). Additionally, the prevailing evidence substantiates the safety of SDF application in pediatric populations. The drawback of SDF application is the induction of dark discoloration on the treated, caries-arrested tooth.