Effect of Curing Light with Different Intensities on the Penetration of Silver and Fluoride Ions and Dentin Hardness in Primary Carious Molars Following Silver Diamine Fluoride Application: A Comparative Microscopic Ex Vivo Study.

Abstract

Background: A paradigm shift from surgical to medical approach for caries management has popularized silver diamine fluoride (SDF) as a preventive and interim caries arrest medicament. Few studies conducted have explored the effect of curing light on SDF's microbial property, its penetration, and effect on dentin. However, there is a research gap regarding the effect of different intensities of curing light on SDF performance.

Aim: To determine the effect of different curing light intensities on SDF penetration depth and dentin hardness in carious lesions of primary molars.

Materials and methods: Silver diamine fluoride was applied on 30 extracted carious primary molars. Teeth were randomly allocated into three groups-(1) control group, no light curing after application of SDF; (2) light curing of SDF with low intensity (1000 mW/cm²); and (3) light curing of SDF with high intensity (2500 mW/cm²). A scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis was performed to check ion penetration after 1 week, and a Vickers hardness test was used to assess dentin hardness of both infected and affected dentin layers at 1-week and 1-month intervals. Based on the distribution of data, parametric and nonparametric tests were applied. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was used for statistical analysis. The level of significance was set at 5%.

Results: Silver diamine fluoride penetrated beyond the carious lesion in all three groups. The mean silver ion precipitation in infected dentin in group III (16.90 ± 0.68) was maximum, whereas it was found to be minimum in group II (7.31 ± 0.63). The mean fluoride ion precipitation in affected dentin in group III (4.06 ± 0.41) was highest and least in group II (3.09 ± 0.58). A considerable increase in mean dentin hardness of infected dentin was observed in all three groups (214.00 ± 89.06, 218.00 ± 75.17, 231.00 ± 98.86, respectively; p < 0.001) after 1 month.

Conclusion: Applying SDF to carious lesions using a high-intensity dental curing light induced more silver ion precipitation in infected dentin and increased its hardness.

How to cite this article: Bhatt R, Patel M, Thakkar A, et al. Effect of Curing Light with Different Intensities on the Penetration of Silver and Fluoride Ions and Dentin Hardness in Primary Carious Molars Following Silver Diamine Fluoride Application: A Comparative Microscopic Ex Vivo Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(7):766-772.