Depth of silver ion penetration into dentin following treatment of carious lesions with silver diamine fluoride

Abstract

Relevance. Non-invasive methods are favoured for treating early childhood caries to reduce treatment time and prevent discomfort or pain, which can lead to dental anxiety. Among the well-established non-invasive approaches for managing dentinal caries in primary teeth is the application of silver diamine fluoride (SDF). However, the extent to which SDF components diffuse into carious and sound dentin remains insufficiently studied. This study aimed to evaluate the depth of dentin infiltration by silver ions after SDF treatment of carious lesions in primary teeth.

Materials and methods. An in vitro study was performed on six extracted primary teeth with carious lesions, which were treated using a domestically produced SDF preparation. Tooth microsections were analyzed through qualitative and quantitative micro-X-ray analysis, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy equipped with elemental analysis detectors.

Results. The depth of silver ion penetration varied from 48.30 ± 9.43 µm to 875.00 ± 35.76 µm, aligning with the depth of carious and demineralized dentin. The silver concentration progressively increased from the surface to the deeper layers of the carious lesion, reaching its peak in the demineralized layer adjacent to the carious dentin. No silver ions were detected in sound dentin.

Conclusion. Following SDF treatment of carious lesions in primary teeth, silver ions fully infiltrated the carious tissue, with the highest concentration observed in the demineralized dentin layer, while sound dentin remained unaffected.