Is Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) a Viable Biological Treatment Option? Exploring the Application of SDF versus Other Minimally Invasive Methods
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Untreated dental caries is a worldwide problem. Conventional caries management encompasses removing all the carious tooth tissue and replacing the lost tooth tissue with a restoration. Minimally invasive techniques emerge as alternative treatments to conventional caries management, which include the use of silver diamine fluoride (SDF), atraumatic restorative treatment (ART), interim therapeutic restorations (ITR), fissure sealants, and Hall crowns, together with other caries prevention methods. Modern caries management strategies aim to avoid invasive treatments and attempt to alter the activity of the biofilm and the carious lesions. SDF can be an effective treatment for managing caries at the cavitation stage and may offer an alternative to other minimally invasive methods, especially in preschool children and those with limited access to dental care. This review aims to examine the use of SDF, to evaluate its advantages, disadvantages and discuss whether it can be an alternative or an adjunct to other minimally invasive methods. For this purpose, a literature scan was conducted using the MeSH terms related to the subject (‘silver diamine fluoride’, ‘dental atraumatic restorative treatment’, ‘fluorides, topical’, ‘dental caries’, ‘silver compounds’, ‘cariostatic agents’) in medical databases (Medline-Pubmed, Google Scholar).
Source: Cumhuriyet Dental Journal
Author: Vecihe İpek Yörel
Institution: Near East University
Language: English
Subfield: General Dentistry
Field: Dentistry
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7117449933