Objective: Early childhood caries (ECC) is a well-known public health issue that develops early in infancy and progresses quickly if left untreated. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a more recent alternative for treating dental cavities with minimally invasive methods. It discolors carious enamel and dentin black and has a metallic taste, which may be a barrier to its use.
Materials and Methods: With 100 parent–child pairs, the current study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the change in parental perception of SDF as a therapeutic modality while identifying the aspects that influence their decision-making. Children aged 3–6 years were assessed for active carious lesions and those with at least one active untreated carious lesion (ICDAS 3,4,5) affecting the primary teeth.
Results: When applied to posterior teeth, SDF application appears to be acceptable to parents as a conservative treatment option for caries. In high-visibility regions, the discoloration caused by SDF prompted parental displeasure, which seemed to intensify with time. On recall visit, parent perception of SDF treatment was re-assessed. When asked about the acceptability of the treatment performed on their child, 5.1% deemed it not acceptable. The difference in acceptability at this point with that assessed immediately post-application, although present, was not found to be statistically significant (p=0.206).
Conclusion: Within the constraints of the current study, it is possible to infer that SDF can be utilized as a viable treatment modality keeping in mind its ease of application, non-invasive nature, and cost-effectiveness. Parental education and informed consent before application are mandatory before opting for this treatment modality.