Assessment of knowledge and perception about silver diamine fluoride (SDF) for treating older adults among graduating dental students

Comparison of the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) between Japanese Dental Students with Experience Using SDF and Those with No Experience Using SDF: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in the knowledge and attitude regarding silver diamine fluoride (SDF) between two groups, differentiated by whether they had experience in SDF use, of dental students and clinical trainee dentists in Japan.

METHODS

A survey was designed consisting of three dental classes (fourth, fifth, and sixth years) and clinical trainees at Kyushu Dental University. A survey was designed consisting of 32 questions about the knowledge, attitudes, esthetic acceptability, and potential barriers regarding the use of SDF.

RESULTS

A total of 286 surveys (response rate of 85.4%) were collected. Among all respondents, 21.7% had experience with SDF use in their clinical practice. Regarding the knowledge score for SDF (0 to 12 points), in the respondents with no experience of using SDF, the mean score was 3.06, and that of respondents with experience of using SDF was 1.66, which was a significant difference (p < 0.001). The mean esthetic acceptability score for SDF use (-8 to 8 points) of the clinical trainees was -1.00 and that of the fourth-year students was 0.74, which was a significant difference (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

the results indicate that dental students and clinical trainees need to increase their clinical experience with SDF.

Knowledge, awareness and attitude among dentists of North India regarding use of Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) in preventing dental caries

AIM- To evaluate the knowledge, awareness and attitude of the dentist from North India towards Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) use in preventing dental caries. MATERIALS AND METHODS- An online survey was conducted among dentists of North India using online questionnaire to assess the knowledge, experience, and attitude of dentists regarding the use of SDF. 107 dentists participated in the online survey. Data obtained were analysed statistically. RESULTS-Most participants revealed they were somewhat taught about SDF. 29 % of the participants agreed that SDF can be used as an alternative to the conventional method of caries removal. Nearly about 32.7 % of the participants do not know regarding the application protocol interval for SDF. CONCLUSION- Knowledge about SDF among dental practitioners in North India was low to moderate. Increasing SDF knowledge among dentists may serve as an alternative for treating young patients who cannot co-operate with the traditional dental treatment.  Keywords: Dental Caries, Questionnaires, Silver Diamine Fluoride, Survey.

Knowledge, Attitudes and Professional Behavior of Silver Diamine Fluoride among Dental Personnel: A Systematic Review

Apart from the major drawback of black staining once lesion is arrested, few studies have indicated that dental personnel's perception and attitude towards silver diamine fluoride (SDF) influences its usage. This report aims to provide a systematic review presenting dental personnel's knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions, (KAPs) regarding SDF. A search of multiple electronic literature databases and a manual search were performed. The review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 statement. A comprehensive search yielded 719 publications and 14 cross-sectional studies matching the inclusion criteria. Awareness of SDF among respondents ranged from 29.6% to 87.8%, whereas awareness of its use in dentistry ranged from 14.4% to 94.5%. Regarding attitude towards SDF, the mean score ranged from 3.39 to 14.35. An increase in knowledge of and attitude towards SDF is significantly associated with the usage of SDF and may increase the usage of SDF. This review provides vital information on dental personnel's KAPs regarding SDF. It is anticipated that the adaptation of SDF usage will be more widespread in the future, especially among children. Findings from the review may assist intervention programs to change misperceptions and to enhance awareness regarding SDF among dental personnel.

National Survey on Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) Awareness, Knowledge, Attitude, and Use among General Dental Practitioners in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia—An Exploratory Survey

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) has been accepted as an appropriate alternative for caries management. However, knowledge and utilization of SDF among dentists vary considerably. The authors in the present study aimed to assess the awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and use of SDF among general dentists (GD) in Saudi Arabia and to correlate the differences based on the different regions and experience levels of the dentists. In this regard, a cross-sectional web-based questionnaire was conducted, and a response was received from 311 GDs from different parts of the country. Information regarding demographic data, knowledge, attitudes, use, and barriers to SDF in dentists’ professional lives were elicited. The mean age of the participants (55.3%) was between 25–35 years. Most (92.45%) of the dentists were aware of the material and (61%) agreed that SDF could arrest carious lesions. More than half of the dentists agreed/strongly agreed that SDF was a good treatment alternative for restorations in children with behavioral issues (63.1%), medically fragile patients (53.7%), patients with severe anxiety (64.5%), patients who underwent radiation or chemotherapy (47.3%), and patients needing general anesthesia for dental treatment (74%). Comparative evaluation using ANOVA revealed regional differences based on knowledge, attitudes, and use. Tukey HSD further highlighted that the practitioners in the western region are more knowledgeable regarding its benefits and utilize it more frequently in their practice compared to other regions. On the other hand, the experience level of the GDs did not have any impact on their knowledge, attitudes, and use of SDF.