Parents' Satisfaction with Silver Diamine Fluoride Treatment of Carious Lesions in Children

Purpose: Current national evidence-based recommendations for treatment of carious lesions include the use of 38 percent silver diamine fluoride (SDF). The purpose of this study was to learn parents' opinions of esthetic changes to their children's teeth following treatment with SDF. Methods: Three-hundred nineteen parents who had previously consented to SDF for caries arrest or caries prevention were asked if their child received SDF, if they noticed changes because of SDF, and how bothered they were by the changes. Results: Two-hundred ten parents reported their child received SDF in the past 12 months, of whom 76 percent were confirmed by Codes on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (CDT): 115 children received SDF for caries arrest and 45 received topical fluoride (SDF) for prevention. Of all 210 who reported SDF, 30 percent described discoloration of their child's teeth or gingiva. On a scale of zero (not bothered at all by changes due to SDF) to 10 (very bothered), parents' average rating was 1.2 ipoints; the average within the caries arrest group was 1.7. Conclusion: Dental treatment requires a shared decision between parents and professionals, and follow-up regarding new procedures is warranted. In this study, treatment with SDF was well accepted by most parents.