The study was carried out in total of ten school children of age group 3–5 years. Out of which six (60%) males and four (40%) females with 74 active carious lesions. Figure 1 shows distribution of teeth according to the active caries lesion in which Group I included 35 teeth and Group II included 39 teeth.
In The Experimental Groups
Figure 2 shows the distribution of selected teeth with active carious lesions in the experimental groups. Group I included 39 teeth in which 6 Central Incisors (15.4%), 6 Lateral Incisors (15.4%), 6 Canines (15.4%), 9 First Molars (23.1%) and 12 Second Molars (30.7%) were involved. Group II included 35 teeth; Central Incisors 6 (17.1%), Lateral Incisors 5 (14.3%), Canines 4 (11.4%), First Molars 11 (31.5%) and Second Molars 9 (25.7%). Total number of teeth included in the study were Central Incisors 12 (16.2%), Lateral Incisors 11 (14.9%), Canines 10 (13.5%), First Molars 20 (27%) and Second Molars 21 (28.4%). Total of 33 (44.6%) anteriors and 41 (55.4%) posteriors. Total teeth in maxillary arch were 26 and in mandibular arch were 13 for Group I and for Group II 21 in maxillary arch and 14 in the mandibular arch.
Figure 3 shows the distribution of selected teeth surfaces with active carious lesions in the Group I. Of the 6 Central Incisors with active carious lesions, 4 (66.7%) had the lesions on labial surface and 2 (33.3%) had the lesions on mesial surface. Similarly, among 4 Lateral Incisors (66.7%) with active carious lesions 2 had lesion on labial surface and 2 on mesial surface (33.3%) respectively; 6 Canines (100%) had active carious lesion on labial surface; 9 (100%) First Molars on occlusal surface; 2 Second Molars (16.7%) on buccal surface and 10 Second Molars (83.3%) on occlusal surfaces. In total, 16 (41%) teeth had the lesion on labial or buccal surface, 4 (10.3%) had the lesion on mesial surface and 19 (48.7%) had the lesion on occlusal surface.
Figure 4 shows the distribution of selected teeth surfaces with active carious lesions in Group II. Of the 6 Central Incisors with active carious lesions, 2 (33.3%) had the lesions on labial surface, 2 (33.3%) had the lesions on mesial surface and 2 (33.3%) had the lesions on distal surface. Of the 5 Lateral Incisors, 2 Lateral Incisors (40%) had active carious lesions on labial surface, 2 Lateral Incisors (40%) had active carious lesion on mesial surface and 1 Lateral Incisor (20%) had active carious lesion on distal surfaces respectively. Similarly, among 4 Canines (100%) all had active carious lesion on labial surface. Among 11 First Molars 1 (9.1%) had active carious lesion on buccal surface and remaining 10 First Molars (90.9%) had active caries lesion on occlusal surfaces, and in 9 Second Molars (100%) had active carious lesion on occlusal surfaces. In total, 9 (25.7%) teeth had the lesion on labial or buccal surface, 4 (11.4%) had the lesion on mesial surface, 3 (8.6%) had the lesion on distal surface and 19 (54.3%) had the lesion on occlusal surface.
Table 1
Distribution of the teeth in the experimental groups according to time of caries arrest
Group I
(Weekly)
|
Group II
(Monthly)
|
After 2 weeks
|
After 3 weeks
|
After 4 weeks
|
After 5 weeks
|
After 9 weeks
|
After 10 weeks
|
n (%)
|
n (%)
|
n (%)
|
n (%)
|
n (%)
|
n (%)
|
13 (33.4)
|
10 (25.6)
|
16 (41)
|
9 (25.7)
|
19 (54.3)
|
7 (20)
|
In Group I during the first evaluation, caries arrest was not seen in any teeth. Caries arrest was seen in 13 teeth during the second evaluation (after 2 weeks), in 10 teeth during the third evaluation (after 3 weeks) and in 16 teeth during the fourth evaluation (after 4 weeks) for the same group. In Group II, caries arrest was not seen in the first, second, third and fourth evaluation. Caries arrest was seen in nine teeth during the fifth evaluation (after 5 weeks), in 19 teeth during the ninth evaluation (after 9 weeks) and in seven teeth during the tenth evaluation (after 10 weeks) in the same group. (Table 1)
Mean time taken in Group I was 21.54 days for caries arrest and for Group II was 57.20 days. The minimum time taken for caries arrest in Group I was 14 days and in Group II was 35 days while the maximum time taken for Group I was 28 days and for Group II was 70 days. (Table 2)
Table 2
Mean time taken to arrest the caries
|
Mean time (days)
|
Standard deviation
|
Minimum
|
Maximum
|
Group I
(Weekly)
|
21.54
|
6.09
|
14
|
28
|
Group II
(Monthly)
|
57.20
|
13.53
|
35
|
70
|
Mean time taken to arrest the caries for Group II (57.2 days) was found to be longer than Group I (21.54 days). This difference in mean time taken was found to be statistically significant (p-value < 0.001). As the mean time taken for caries arrest for Group I was shorter, weekly application was found to have higher efficacy than monthly application.
Table 3
Comparison of efficacy of Silver Diamine Fluoride according to frequency of application among the experimental groups
Group
|
Mean time (days)
|
t-value
|
95% Confidence Interval
|
p-value
|
Lower
Bound
|
Upper
Bound
|
Group I (Weekly)
|
21.54
|
-14.35
|
-40.67
|
-30.66
|
< 0.001*
|
Group II
(Monthly)
|
57.20
|
Independent Samples t-Test, p-value < 0.05 statistically significant
Table 3 shows that mean time taken for caries arrest for Group II (57.2 days) was found to be longer than Group I (21.54 days). This difference in mean time taken was found to be statistically significant (p-value < 0.001). As the mean time taken for caries arrest for Group I was shorter, weekly application was found to have higher efficacy than monthly application.