INFLUENCE OF SEMI-ANNUAL AND ANNUAL SILVER DIAMINE FLUORIDE APPLICATION ON CARIES ARREST IN PRESCHOOL CHILDREN: A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL

*Dr. Prabhav Chauhan Reader

ABSTRACT

Background: Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is an effective non-invasive treatment for arresting dental caries in preschool children. Limited evidence exists regarding the clinical performance of newer SDF formulations such as CariCure SDF compared with established SDF systems and glass ionomer cements. Aim: To compare the effectiveness of CariCure SDF, Riva Star and RX Ease 2 Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC) in arresting active dentinal caries in preschool children. Materials and Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted among 240 children aged 3–5 years with active dentinal caries. Participants were allocated to five groups: CariCure SDF every 6 months, CariCure SDF every 12 months, Riva Star every 6 months, Riva Star every 12 months and RX Ease 2 GIC applied annually. Clinical evaluations were performed at baseline and every 6 months for 24 months. Caries arrest was assessed based on lesion hardness and absence of progression. Results: At 24 months, caries arrest rates were 94.2%, 88.6%, 90.4%, 83.7%, and 79.8% for Groups I–V, respectively (p<0.001). Semi-annual CariCure SDF application demonstrated significantly greater caries arrest than all other interventions. Conclusion: CariCure SDF showed superior efficacy in arresting dentinal caries compared with Riva Star SDF and RX Ease 2 GIC. Semi-annual SDF application was more effective than annual application in preschool children.

Keywords: Silver diamine fluoride, Glass ionomer cement, Caries arrest, Preschool children, Early childhood caries.