Silver Diamine Fluoride Staining With Potassium Iodide: A Prospective Cohort Study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Cariology
• Dental Materials Science

Background:

• Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is effective for caries management but causes staining, impacting patient acceptance.
• Potassium iodide (KI) is hypothesized to modify the staining associated with SDF.
• Understanding the color evolution of SDF/KI-treated lesions is crucial for clinical application and patient counseling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the color changes in carious lesions of primary teeth treated with SDF and KI over a 6-month period.
• To evaluate the clinical significance and perception of color alteration following SDF/KI application.

Main Methods:

• One hundred carious lesions in primary teeth were treated with SDF + KI (Riva Star).
• Standardized intraoral photography and CIELAB color analysis (L*, a*, b*, ΔE) were used to assess lesion shade over 6 months.
• Lesion color was categorized into yellow, light brown, dark brown, and black at baseline and follow-up.

Main Results:

• Clinically perceptible color changes (mean ΔE = 12.2) were observed in carious lesions within 6 months post-SDF/KI treatment.
• The majority of lesions showed significant shade alteration, regardless of baseline shade, tooth type, or lesion severity.
• Valid observations were obtained from 100 lesions out of 129 initially included.

Conclusions:

• SDF + KI treatment leads to clinically significant and perceptible color changes in carious lesions.
• Color alteration is primarily linked to changes in lightness (L*) of the lesions over the 6-month observation period.
• The findings support the use of color change as an indicator of lesion status after SDF/KI treatment.