Evaluating parental acceptance for silver diamine fluoride therapy – a pilot study

Abstract

To evaluate the association of parents ’acceptability for SDF therapy with the location of teeth, child’s behaviour, age, gender or socioeconomic status. Material and methods: As parents are the decision-makers for their child, we conducted a questionnaire-based survey on 35 parents intending to assess their acceptance for SDF therapy and factors influencing their decision. For pre-treatment aesthetic evaluation of SDF application, the parents were presented with a set of pre- and post-treatment photographs of clinical cases for their observation and comparison along with the printed structured proforma. Results: Mean parental acceptance for SDF therapy for front teeth was 2.2 (SD 1.1) and 3.1 (SD 1.2) for back teeth. Cases where the child was fully cooperative, mean ratings were slightly higher for front teeth (2.5 SD 1.6) but lesser for back teeth (2.8, SD 2.2).Results showed that parental acceptance was significantly less (p<0.05) for anterior teeth and in younger children (>< 3 years). Gender of the child and socioeconomic status of parents were not associated with their acceptance rates for SDF therapy. Conclusion: Longitudinal studies with a postoperative evaluation of SDF therapy acceptance should be conducted for a better understanding of this topic.