Pulpal response following SDF application for deep carious lesions:An in vivo study

Deep carious lesions often threaten pulpal vitality and limited evidence exists regarding the pulpal response to 38% silver diamine fluoride (SDF) in primary and permanent molars. Therefore, it is of interest to evaluate the pulpal response to 38% SDF in deep carious lesions of primary and permanent molars. Hence, a total of 70 molars (35 primary, 35 permanent) were treated with SDF following selective caries removal and monitored clinically and radiographically for 12 months. Most teeth maintained pulpal vitality, with overall success rates of 80% in primary molars and 85.7% in permanent molars. Failures were mainly associated with spontaneous pain or radiographic periapical changes during follow-up. Thus, we show that SDF is a minimally invasive and biologically compatible option for managing deep caries while preserving pulp vitality in both dentitions.