Effectiveness of silver diamine fluoride 38% on reduction of gingivitis in dogs: a randomized clinical trial

IntroductionPeriodontal disease is a ubiquitous disease in small animal veterinary medicine. Currently regular professional dental cleaning and daily tooth brushing are considered gold standards in the prevention of periodontal disease. Efforts to find a noninvasive, cost effective and easy to use preventative for periodontal disease are ongoing. The primary objective of this double-blind randomized clinical trial was to determine if a single application of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) 38% on the buccal surface of all teeth would reduce gingivitis within 3 months in dogs with stage two periodontal disease.MethodsTwenty-nine client-owned dogs 3-12 years old, 6-35 pounds were randomized 1:1 into active and placebo-control groups. Both groups underwent a baseline treatment and a three-month follow-up under general anesthesia. Gingival Index (GI), Plaque Index (PI), and Calculus Index (CI) were assessed and recorded at each event.ResultsA single application of SDF 38% did not significantly lower GI relative to the control group. However, the GI score dropped significantly in both groups relative to baseline, with a 53% reduction in the average GI score for dogs that received SDF 38% treatment and a 44% reduction for dogs that received placebo treatment. There were no differences in PI or CI scores compared to control groups.ConclusionFurther research is needed to determine if a more frequent application or a longer study duration would yield a different outcome.

Automated summary

In this study, a single application of SDF 38% did not significantly reduce gingivitis in dogs with stage two periodontal disease. However, both the SDF 38% treatment group and the placebo treatment group showed significant reductions in gingivitis scores relative to baseline, with a 53% reduction for the SDF group and a 44% reduction for the placebo group. There were no differences in Plaque Index or Calculus Index scores compared to the control groups. Further research is needed to explore the potential for more frequent applications or a longer study duration to potentially yield different results.