Silver diamine fluoride for non-operative restorative treatment and prevention of dental caries.

BACKGROUND: Dental caries is a multifactorial, dynamic disease leading to the demineralization and loss of tooth structure. Traditionally, it is treated with mechanical removal of the carious tooth structure and restoration with a restorative material, requiring specialized skills and equipment. Young children, patients with physical or intellectual disabilities, elderly patients, and patients living in remote communities are disproportionately affected because of greater difficulty accessing and undergoing operative dental procedures. The purpose of this narrative review is to explore the use of silver diamine fluoride as an alternative or adjunct tool in clinical practice for treating and preventing dental caries.

METHODS: This review was conducted from July 2022 to May 2025. Three electronic databases-PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Ovid Medline-were searched using the keywords silver diamine fluoride, SDF, fluoride, access to care, caries risk, restorative material, and caries prevention. Opinion articles and those not published in English were excluded from consideration.

RESULTS: The literature search returned 74 articles, including qualitative studies, case studies, randomized clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Silver diamine fluoride was found to be effective in treating cavitated and non cavitated lesions caused by dental caries.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: With proper case selection and follow up, silver diamine fluoride is an effective agent for arresting dental caries. Its use by more clinicians because of its effectiveness, safety, low cost, and ease of use can help alleviate some of the challenges faced by certain patient populations. Further research should be undertaken to assess the effectiveness of silver diamine fluoride on adult teeth as well as for dental caries prevention.