Silver Diamıne Fluoride in the Management of Dental Caries in Primary Teeth

Early childhood caries is one of the most common chronic diseases of primary teeth and if left untreated it may have significant problems such as pain, infection, feeding problems and lower quality of life. Limited cooperation of young children can make conventional restorative treatment difficult and therefore non-invasive and minimally invasive treatment options have gained increasing importance. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a topical medication that arrests the progression of active cavitated carious lesions. Specifically, many clinical studies and systematic reviews have reported that SDF solution 38% is an effective arresting agent for active dentinal caries in primary teeth . The antimicrobial effect of SDF is mainly due to silver ions, while the remineralization-promoting effect is due to its fluoride component. One of the main benefits is that it is quick and painless (without removal of tooth structure) to apply, particularly in young children with limited cooperation and high caries risk. But the chief disadvantage of the method is the permanent dark discoloration of the arrested carious tissue. The current literature is reviewed concerning mechanism of action, clinical effectiveness, principles of application, advantages and limitations, patient and parental acceptance of SDF in the management of caries in primary teeth and its relation to other minimally invasive treatment options.