Oral health-related quality of life · Children with dental caries
SDF plus fluoride varnish did not significantly differ from ART plus fluoride varnish for oral health-related quality of life (MD 0.16, 95% CI -0.1 to 0.42; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Caries arrest · Children (age 1-10 years) with active cavitated dentin caries lesions in primary molars
The pooled caries arrest rate with SDF (>=30%, applied annually/biannually) was 51.62% (622/1205 lesions arrested) at >=12 months follow-up.
1 finding from 1 review
Aesthetics · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
Adverse effects · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
1 finding from 1 review
Ruff 2022 reported that there were no adverse events during the study period; adverse events were not defined by the study authors. Assumed data available for 1398 participants.
1 study · 1398 participants
Very low
Dental pain or sensitivity · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
Secondary prevention of caries · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries arrest · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
Primary caries prevention · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
It is very uncertain whether silver diamine fluoride (SDF) changes primary caries prevention compared with chlorhexidine varnish (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Aesthetics · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
It is very uncertain whether silver diamine fluoride (SDF) changes aesthetics compared with fluoride varnish (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Dental pain or sensitivity · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
Aesthetics · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
Dental pain or sensitivity · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
Dental pain or sensitivity · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
It is very uncertain whether silver diamine fluoride (SDF) changes dental pain or sensitivity compared with fluoride varnish (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Adverse effects · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
1 finding from 1 review
Adverse effects · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
1 finding from 1 review
Gao 2019 noted that "arrested lesions were stained black" (reported with no associated data). No other adverse effects observed, and no reports from parents of systemic disease.
1 study · 1070 participants
Very low
Adverse effects · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
1 finding from 1 review
In 1 study, black or brown staining on treated lesions was more common after SDF (OR 3.19, 95% CI 1.95 to 5.23), with no other adverse effects. 1 study reported complaints of a transient bitter taste with SDF use (with…
3 studies · 980 participants
Very low
Aesthetics · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
Adverse effects (tooth staining and other side effects) · Children and adults with active dental caries (aged 1-50; mostly preschool/school children with primary dentition)
SDF commonly causes black staining of arrested lesions; only mild, transient adverse events were reported, with no major adverse events (ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Caries arrest · Children (age 1-10 years) with active cavitated dentin caries lesions in primary molars
A single (one-time) SDF application did not significantly arrest caries (pooled ES -0.09, 95% CI -0.48 to 0.29; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Caries arrest · Children with dentine carious lesions (ICDAS 4-5) in primary teeth
A second meta-analysis reported odds ratios of 2.44 to 3.63 favouring 38% SDF over fluoride varnish/water for caries arrest (ungraded).
2 findings from 1 review
OR (caries arrest) OR 2.44-3.63 (range); 2.44 = Chu estimate including 30% SDF
3 studies
GRADE not reported
Proportion (caries arrest) 81 [68, 89]
12 studies
GRADE not reported