Silver diamine fluoride (SDF; 30% or 38%) vs Fluoride varnish: Arrest of dentine caries
- Population
- Preschool children with active dentine caries in primary teeth (mean age 3.4-4.0 years)
- Intervention
- Silver diamine fluoride (SDF; 30% or 38%)
- Comparison
- Fluoride varnish
- Outcome
- Arrest of dentine caries
Silver diamine fluoride was about 2.5 times more likely than sodium fluoride to arrest dentine caries surfaces at 18 months (pooled OR 2.51, 95% CI 1.25 to 5.10; 2 RCTs), although between-study heterogeneity was high (I2=90.3%); certainty of evidence was not formally graded.
What each review found
Current versions only| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF; 30% or 38%) vs 5% sodium fluoride (NaF) varnish Arrested dentine caries (arrested caries surfaces) · Preschool children with active dentine caries in primary teeth (mean age 3.4-4.0 years) · 18 months, Community/kindergarten-based; preschool children in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, Southern China Silver diamine fluoride was about 2.5 times more likely than sodium fluoride to arrest dentine caries surfaces at 18 months (pooled OR 2.51, 95% CI 1.25 to 5.10; 2 RCTs), although between-study heterogeneity was high (I2=90.3%); certainty of evidence was not formally graded. Silver diamine fluoride versus sodium fluoride for arresting dentine caries in children: a systematic review… (2019) All outcomes | OR 2.51 [1.25, 5.10] | 2 studies | GRADE not reported |
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF; 30% or 38%) vs 5% sodium fluoride (NaF) varnish Arrested dentine caries (arrested caries surfaces) · Preschool children with active dentine caries in primary teeth (mean age 3.4-4.0 years) · 30 months, Community/kindergarten-based; preschool children in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, Southern China Silver diamine fluoride was about twice as likely as sodium fluoride to arrest dentine caries surfaces at 30 months (pooled OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.51 to 2.77; 2 RCTs; I2=44.3%); certainty of evidence was not formally graded. Silver diamine fluoride versus sodium fluoride for arresting dentine caries in children: a systematic review… (2019) All outcomes | OR 2.03 [1.51, 2.77] | 2 studies | GRADE not reported |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver diamine fluoride versus sodium fluoride for arresting dentine caries in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2019 All outcomes | March 31, 2018 | 6 | Critically Low / Critically Low |
Studies behind the findings
The primary studies the full-text reviews tie to this outcome. Reviews with headline outcomes only do not list them here.
- Caries arrest by topical fluorides in preschool children: 30-month results · 2018 · included by 1 of these review
- A randomized clinical trial on arresting dentine caries in preschool children by topical fluorides—18 month results · 2016 · included by 1 of these review
- Effectiveness of Silver Diamine Fluoride and Sodium Fluoride Varnish in Arresting Dentin Caries in Chinese Pre-school Children · 2002 · included by 1 of these review
- A Community-based Caries Control Program for Pre-school Children Using Topical Fluorides: 18-month Results · 2001 · included by 1 of these review
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.