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Perception, Knowledge and Clinical Use of Silver Diamine Fluoride Among Dental Professionals in Saudi Arabia: A
Maha Eid1, Doaa M Banaamah2, Lujain Bajsair2
1Department of Pediatric Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Background:
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a non-invasive, cost-effective agent proven effective in arresting and preventing dental caries. Despite growing global evidence supporting its use, significant gaps exist in self-reported knowledge and clinical adoption among dental professionals. Previous studies in Saudi Arabia focused exclusively on general dentists, leaving perception and knowledge among a diverse dental workforce largely unexplored.
Objective:
This study aimed to assess the perception, knowledge, and clinical use of SDF among a diverse group of dental professionals in Saudi Arabia, including pediatric dentists, restorative dentists, postgraduate and undergraduate students across both governmental and private practice settings.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online self-administered questionnaire distributed via social media and Email between December 2020 and March 2021, using convenience sampling. A total of 320 dental professionals participated. Responses were analyzed using chi-square tests with significance set at p≤0.05.
Results:
While 61.3% of participants reported awareness of SDF for arresting caries in children, only 20% reported awareness of the correct application frequency and only 25.9% reported knowledge of its cost-effectiveness. The majority (76.9%) had never used SDF clinically. Females demonstrated significantly higher awareness than males across most domains. Self-reported knowledge and willingness to use SDF increased significantly with higher educational qualification and greater clinical experience.
Conclusion:
Significant gaps in self-reported knowledge persist regarding SDF application frequency, cost-effectiveness, and clinical use among dental professionals in Saudi Arabia. The findings suggest a potential role for integrating SDF into undergraduate dental curricula and providing continuing professional development programs for practicing clinicians. Generalizability is limited by the convenience sampling approach.