Effectiveness of two concentrations 12% versus 38% of silver diamine fluoride in arresting cavitated dentin caries among children: a systematic review

This systematic review was performed to compare the effectiveness of two concentrations (12% versus 38%) of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) in arresting cavitated dentin caries among children. A search of randomized clinical trials was performed in six databases: PubMed, Scopus, the Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature database (LILACS), the Cochrane Library, Turning Research Into Practice (TRIP) database (Trip medical database), and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE Evidence Search) database. A manual search was performed on the reference lists of all primary studies for additional relevant publications. No restrictions on publication date or languages were involved. Full-text versions of the papers that appeared to meet the inclusion criteria were retrieved for further assessment and data extraction. The initial search identified a total of 373 articles; three publications were found to meet the inclusion criteria. Risk of bias assessment was performed. The three publications agreed that the 38% SDF had a higher chance of arresting dentin caries in primary teeth than the 12% SDF concentration. Further trials are needed for establishing a suitable protocol in the view that the higher the SDF concentration and frequency of application, the higher the incidence of black staining.