title: Paradigm shift in the effective treatment of caries in schoolchildren at risk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is an effective agent for the arrest of caries in children, is easy to apply and can be used outside the clinical environment. Interim restorative treatment (IRT) using glass ionomer cement has also been claimed to be a simple and effective method to arrest caries in deciduous teeth.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether, for underprivileged schoolchildren with cavities, treatment with 30% SDF gives better results than IRT for carries arrest.
  
  
  METHODS
  This randomised controlled study compares the effect of IRT (FUJI IX) with 30% SDF in 91 children aged 5-6 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 1 year, treatment with SDF was more effective [relative risk (RR) = 66.9%] than IRT (RR = 38.6%) for the arrest of caries; this was statistically significant (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SDF technique showed better results than IRT for the arrest of cavities in deciduous teeth, indicating that its use for underprivileged communities may justify a paradigm shift in paediatric dentistry.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, Pernambuco State University, Camaragibe, Pernambuco, Brazil. valdeciodonto@gmail.com
authors.forename: Valdeci E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.forename: Flávia M N
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: de Vasconcelos
authors.forename: Andréa G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: Aronita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenblatt
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D057087:Dental Atraumatic Restorative Treatment / Q000379:methods*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000628:therapy*; D003794:Dental Restoration, Temporary / Q000379:methods; D003906:Developing Countries; D005459:Fluorides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005460:Fluorides, Topical; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012306:Risk; D018030:Silver Compounds; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D005460:Fluorides, Topical; D005899:Glass Ionomer Cements; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D018030:Silver Compounds; C110713:fuji IX; C024633:silver diamine fluoride; D005459:Fluorides