Paradigm shift in the effective treatment of caries in schoolchildren at risk

Background: Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is an effective agent for the arrest of caries in children, is easy to apply and can be used outside the clinical environment. Interim restorative treatment (IRT) using glass ionomer cement has also been claimed to be a simple and effective method to arrest caries in deciduous teeth. Objective: To examine whether, for underprivileged schoolchildren with cavities, treatment with 30% SDF gives better results than IRT for carries arrest. Method: This randomised controlled study compares the effect of IRT (FUJI IX) with 30% SDF in 91 children aged 56 years. Results: After 1 year, treatment with SDF was more effective [relative risk (RR) = 66.9%] than IRT (RR = 38.6%) for the arrest of caries; this was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The SDF technique showed better results than IRT for the arrest of cavities in deciduous teeth, indicating that its use for underprivileged communities may justify a paradigm shift in paediatric dentistry.