Early childhood caries (ECC) is a global public health issue that is present worldwide and its effects have a significant impact on the overall health and quality of life. Atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) is a low-cost alternative to increase the accessibility of restorative treatment in these children. Conventionally glass ionomer cement (GIC) has been used in ART. Off late, Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is widely used in management of carious lesion.
Objectives: To compare the efficacy and parent perception of SDF and GIC in ART.
Results: A total of 46 patients were selected for each group. In the SDF group 84% (n=39) were used for posteriors,
while only 15% (n=7) were used for anterior teeth. In the GIC group 91% (n=42) were used for restoration of posteriors, while only 9% (n=4) were used for anterior teeth. The criteria for procedure evaluation included ease of application and time for application which was significant in both groups (p <0.001). The mean time for the SF group was 120 seconds, while in the GIC group it was around 350 seconds. For esthetic evaluation the discoloration and the overall outcome was also significant in both groups (p <0.001). Complications during the procedure such as pain, redness, and acceptable taste were also noted. These values were also significant in both groups (p <0.001).
Conclusion: SDF could be used as suitable alternative to GIC in ART in situations such as children with uncooperative
behavior. However, a larger sample should be studied with longer follow-up to emphasize the success and longevity of SDF when compared to GIC.
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