new root-surface carious lesions or restorations · community-dwelling older adults with root caries
SDF had a 28% preventative fraction at 24 months; no pooled estimate or GRADE rating was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries arrest · Children (age 1-10 years) with active cavitated dentin caries lesions in primary molars
Biannual SDF application significantly arrested caries (pooled ES 0.39, 95% CI 0.19-0.60; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Secondary prevention of caries · children with deep occlusal carious lesions in permanent molars
No significant difference in secondary caries prevention was reported; no effect estimate or GRADE rating was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Immediate bond strength (MPa) · Glass-ionomer cement bonded to sound dentin (in vitro)
SDF pretreatment with a rinsing step does not affect glass-ionomer cement bond strength to sound dentin (MD -1.11 MPa, 95% CI -3.47 to 1.25; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Immediate bond strength (MPa) · Glass-ionomer cement bonded to caries-affected dentin (in vitro)
SDF pretreatment with a rinsing step does not affect glass-ionomer cement bond strength to caries-affected dentin (MD -0.36 MPa, 95% CI -1.07 to 0.35; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Immediate bond strength (MPa) · Dental adhesives bonded to sound dentin (in vitro)
A rinsing step after SDF eliminates the negative effect on adhesive bond strength to sound dentin (MD 7.11 MPa, 95% CI -0.57 to 14.79, non-significant; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Immediate bond strength (MPa) · Dental adhesives bonded to caries-affected dentin (in vitro)
Prior SDF followed by a rinsing step significantly increases adhesive bond strength to caries-affected dentin (MD -4.79 MPa favoring SDF, 95% CI -9.19 to -0.40; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
new root-surface carious lesions or restorations · Older adults with root caries in permanent (mature) teeth (mean age 75 years)
SDF had a 71% preventative fraction at 36 months; no pooled estimate or GRADE rating was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Immediate bond strength (MPa) · Glass-ionomer cement bonded to caries-affected dentin (in vitro)
SDF pretreatment without a rinsing step does not affect glass-ionomer cement bond strength to caries-affected dentin (MD 0.26 MPa, 95% CI -0.30 to 0.82; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Immediate bond strength (MPa) · Dental adhesives bonded to sound dentin (in vitro)
Prior SDF without a rinsing step significantly reduces adhesive bond strength to sound dentin (MD 17.52 MPa favoring untreated dentin, 95% CI 5.81 to 29.22; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Immediate bond strength (MPa) · Glass-ionomer cement bonded to sound dentin (in vitro)
SDF pretreatment without a rinsing step does not affect glass-ionomer cement bond strength to sound dentin (MD 0.26 MPa, 95% CI -0.20 to 0.73; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Immediate bond strength (MPa) · Dental adhesives bonded to caries-affected dentin (in vitro)
Only one study assessed SDF without a rinsing step on adhesive bonding to caries-affected dentin (Kucukyilmaz 2016, which reported impaired bond strength); no meta-analysis was possible, so no pooled estimate is available.
1 finding from 1 review
Secondary caries prevention in young permanent first molars · Children with deep occlusal caries in young permanent first molars (indirect pulp capping)
SDF and RMGIC did not differ significantly for secondary caries prevention in young permanent molars (no events; p>0.05; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Baraka et al. (2022): no significant difference in secondary caries prevention between 38% SDF and RMGIC (no secondary caries in either group through 12 months; p=0.63 at 12 months; overall p=0.26).
1 study · 49 participants
GRADE not reported
new carious lesions or fillings · Children with dental caries in permanent (first) molars
The review reported no significant result for SDF; no effect estimate or GRADE rating was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
new root-surface carious lesions or restorations · community-dwelling older adults with root caries
SDF plus potassium iodide had a 52% preventative fraction; no pooled estimate or GRADE rating was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Secondary caries prevention in young permanent first molars · Children with deep occlusal caries in young permanent first molars (indirect pulp capping)
SDF+KI and RMGIC did not differ significantly for secondary caries prevention (p>0.05; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Secondary prevention of caries · children with deep occlusal carious lesions in permanent molars
No significant difference in secondary caries prevention was reported; no effect estimate or GRADE rating was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries arrest · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
1 finding from 1 review
In 1 study (45 children), 4 applications of 38% SDF at 1-monthly intervals resulted in fewer surfaces with active caries compared with 2 applications at 6-monthly intervals (MD 1.04 surfaces, 95% CI 0.23 to 1.85), and…
4 studies · 1360 participants
Very low
Aesthetics · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
1 finding from 1 review
Secondary prevention of caries · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
It is very uncertain whether SDF (given at a particular frequency, concentration, or duration) changes secondary prevention of caries compared with SDF (given at a different frequency, concentration, or duration) (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review