title: A new "silver-bullet" to treat caries in children--nano silver fluoride: a randomised clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Untreated dental caries in children remains a public health challenge in poor communities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This prospective controlled clinical trial investigated the effectiveness of a new anti-caries agent, Nano Silver Fluoride (NSF), applied once a year to arrest caries in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred thirty decayed primary teeth were randomly divided into two groups: NSF as the experimental agent and water as the control group. Teeth were clinically diagnosed and treated by one masked examiner and followed up at seven days and five and 12 months by another calibrated examiner who was blinded to the type of treatment. The criteria of the ICDAS II were followed to determine the activity of lesion and the diagnosis of caries. The Pearson's chi-square test was used to compare the groups during different follow-up exams.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At seven days, 81% of teeth in the NSF group exhibited arrested caries, whereas in controls, no teeth had arrested decay (p<0.001) [PF, prevented fraction=81%]. After five months, the NSF group had 72.7% with arrested decay, and the control group had 27.4% (p<0.001) [PF=62.5%]. At 12 months, 66.7% of the lesions treated with NSF were still arrested, while the control group had 34.7% remaining arrested (p=0.003) [PF=50%]. The number need to treat (NNT) at five months was two, and at 12 months, the number was three.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NSF formulation is effective to arrest active dentine caries and not stain teeth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NSF was demonstrated to be effective in arresting caries in children in poor communities.
authors.affiliation: University of Pernambuco, Pediatric Dentistry, Brazil. Electronic address: valdeciodonto@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Valdeci Elias dos
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Pernambuco, Brazil. Electronic address: arnoldo_filho@terra.com.br.
authors.forename: Arnoldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos Filho
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Pernambuco, Brazil. Electronic address: andreadoutorado@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Andrea Gadelha Ribeiro
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Targino
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Pernambuco, Department of Fundamental Chemistry Center for Strategic Technologies of Northeast , CETENE - INT/MCTI, Recife - PE, Brazil. Electronic address: mpelagio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Miguel Angel Pelagio
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Pernambuco, Department of Fundamental Chemistry Center for Strategic Technologies of Northeast , CETENE - INT/MCTI, Recife - PE, Brazil. Electronic address: andre@cetene.gov.br.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galembeck
authors.affiliation: Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil. Electronic address: caldasjr@aldeia.com.br.
authors.forename: Arnaldo França
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Caldas
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, University of Pernambuco, Brazil. Electronic address: aronita.rosenblatt@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Aronita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenblatt
mesh_terms: D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D004245:DMF Index; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003733:Dental Caries Susceptibility / Q000187:drug effects; D003804:Dentin / Q000187:drug effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D061366:Numbers Needed To Treat; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018030:Silver Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014089:Tooth Remineralization / Q000379:methods; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000187:drug effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D018030:Silver Compounds; C105022:silver fluoride; D005459:Fluorides
keywords: Caries arrest; Children; Clinical trial; Dental caries; Fluorides