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
Primary caries prevention · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
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 arrestment at the individual (patient) level · Children and adults with active dental caries (aged 1-50; mostly preschool/school children with primary dentition)
In one trial, SDF greatly increased individual-level caries arrestment versus ART/glass ionomer cement (OR 18.03); this subgroup was not separately GRADE-rated.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries arrestment at the tooth level · Children and adults with active dental caries (aged 1-50; mostly preschool/school children with primary dentition)
In one trial, SDF increased tooth-level caries arrestment versus 5% sodium fluoride varnish (OR 4.75; ungraded subgroup).
1 finding from 1 review
Caries arrestment at the surface level · Children and adults with active dental caries (aged 1-50; mostly preschool/school children with primary dentition)
Pooling two highly heterogeneous trials, SDF showed no significant difference versus 5% sodium fluoride varnish in surface-level caries arrestment (OR 1.46; ungraded subgroup).
1 finding from 1 review
Caries arrestment at the individual (patient) level · Children and adults with active dental caries (aged 1-50; mostly preschool/school children with primary dentition)
Pooling two trials, SDF markedly increased individual-level caries arrestment versus placebo (OR 18.10; ungraded subgroup).
1 finding from 1 review
Caries arrestment at the tooth level · Children and adults with active dental caries (aged 1-50; mostly preschool/school children with primary dentition)
Pooling two trials, SDF and ART/glass ionomer cement showed no clear difference in tooth-level caries arrestment (OR 1.22, wide CI; ungraded subgroup).
1 finding from 1 review
Oral health-related quality of life · Children with dental caries
SDF had no significant effect on oral health-related quality of life versus pooled standard-of-care caries treatments (SMD -0.06, 95% CI -0.20 to 0.08; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Immediate bond strength (MPa) · Dental adhesives/resin composite bonded to dentin (in vitro), sound or caries-affected
Prior SDF application significantly reduces the immediate bond strength of adhesives to dentin overall (MD 7.12 MPa favoring untreated dentin, 95% CI 1.38 to 12.85; ungraded), with very high heterogeneity (I2=98%).
1 finding from 1 review
Immediate bond strength (MPa) · Glass-ionomer cement bonded to dentin (in vitro), sound or caries-affected
Prior SDF application does not influence the immediate bond strength of glass-ionomer cement to dentin (MD -0.11 MPa, 95% CI -0.54 to 0.31; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Arrest of dentine caries · Children with active dentine caries
One randomised trial found nano-silver fluoride arrested dentine caries without the black staining seen with silver diamine fluoride; ungraded.
1 finding from 1 review
Treatment success (caries lesion arrest or restoration survival) · Children (aged 3-11 y) with cavitated caries lesions in primary teeth
At 6 months, SDF had significantly higher treatment success than placebo (OR 33.62).
1 finding from 1 review
OR 33.62 [3.01, 375.92]
44 studies
GRADE not reported
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
Arrest of dentine caries · Children with active dentine caries in primary teeth
One study reported 30% silver diamine fluoride effectively arrested dentine caries in primary teeth; ungraded.
1 finding from 1 review
Remineralisation of early enamel caries · Children with early enamel caries in erupting permanent first molars
One pilot study found 10% silver diamine fluoride worked about as well as glass ionomer restoration and tooth-brushing for remineralising early enamel caries; ungraded.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries lesion arrestment · Primary teeth with dentin caries lesions on occlusal and smooth surfaces
Silver diamine fluoride twice annually ranked first for caries lesion arrestment in the occlusal- and smooth-surface network (moderate certainty).
1 finding from 1 review