Efficacy of Glutathione Biomolecule in Reducing the Tooth Discoloration Associated with Silver Diamine Fluoride: A Split-mouth In vivo Study.

BACKGROUND

The necessity to modify silver diamine fluoride (SDF) to make it esthetically acceptable without affecting its beneficial properties keeps the research in this field pertinent.

AIM: This study aims to comparatively evaluate the efficacy of Glutathione (GSH) in reducing tooth discoloration associated with SDF.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This split-mouth in vivo study was conducted on 20 children aged 3-8 years having a minimum of 3 active carious primary teeth. The three teeth in each patient were randomly divided into Group I - 38% SDF; Group II - 38% SDF followed by application of potassium iodide; and Group III - 38% SDF mixed with 20% GSH. Standardized photographs were taken immediately after application and after 6 months, which were analyzed using Image J software. The carious lesions were clinically classified as active or arrested after 6 months.

RESULTS

When mean gray values of three groups were compared postoperative, the highest value (lighter shade) was observed for group II and least (darker shade) for group I, whereas, during the 6-month follow-up, the highest value was seen for group III and least for group I. The color change from preoperative to 6 months' follow-up was compared, and a statistically significant difference was observed between groups I and II (P = 0.003) and groups I and III (P = 0.001). When caries arresting effectiveness was analyzed, there was no significant difference found between any of the groups (P = 1).

CONCLUSION

Mixing 20% GSH with 38% SDF was an effective measure in reducing the tooth discoloration associated with SDF, without affecting caries arresting the efficiency of the latter.