Silver Diamine Fluoride for Caries in Primary Teeth in Routine Clinical Practice (ESFLUOR)

November 3, 2026 updated by: Consorci Sanitari de l'Alt Penedès i Garraf

Efficacy and Safety of Silver Diamine Fluoride in Clinical Practice for the Treatment of Caries in Children With Primary Dentition

The goal of this observational study is to learn how well and how safely silver diamine fluoride (SDF) stops tooth decay (caries) in baby teeth when it is used in routine dental care. It will include children aged 14 years or younger with caries in their primary (baby) teeth who are treated with SDF at a public primary care dental clinic. The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • What proportion of caries lesions treated with SDF do not progress after 12 months?
  • How often do side effects occur, such as black staining of the tooth, sensitivity, abscesses, gum or skin irritation, or allergy?
  • How satisfied are parents with the treatment? Participants will receive SDF as part of their usual dental care and will attend check-up visits 1, 6, and 12 months after treatment, where the dentist will examine the treated teeth, assess oral hygiene, and ask about diet and any side effects. Parents will answer a short satisfaction questionnaire.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Dental caries is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood and remains a public health problem, especially in primary teeth and in children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds attended in the public health system. Topical 38% silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a minimally invasive treatment that arrests caries progression, with arrest rates above 70% in controlled trials. However, there is little evidence on its effectiveness and safety in routine clinical practice, particularly with current formulations that use water instead of ammonia as the vehicle and include potassium iodide to reduce staining.

This is a single-cohort prospective study conducted at the Dentistry Service of the Baix a Mar Integrated Primary Care Center (Consorci Sanitari de l'Alt Penedès i Garraf). Children with caries in primary teeth who have an indication for SDF according to the Catalan Health Department guideline "Implementation of silver diamine fluoride treatment in primary and community care dental clinics: rationale and protocol for use" will be invited to participate. SDF 38% (Riva Star) will be applied according to that guideline. Participants will be assessed at baseline and at 1, 6, and 12 months. At each follow-up, the investigator will rate caries progression (yes/no) based on visual appearance (dark, shiny, smooth surface), tactile assessment with a dental probe (hard, smooth, not sticky), absence of symptoms, stability over time, and radiographs if needed.

The primary analysis will estimate the proportion of treated lesions without progression at 12 months with its 95% confidence interval. Logistic regression will be used to explore factors associated with progression, and subgroup analyses by sex and age are planned. A sample of 101 participants allows the proportion of arrested lesions (expected around 70%) to be estimated with a precision of ±10 percentage points and 95% confidence, assuming a 20% loss to follow-up.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
101

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Spain
    • Barcelona
      • Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, Spain
        • Recruiting
        • Baix a Mar Integrated Primary Care Center
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Nerea Cáceres
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Paula Batista

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

No older than 14 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Children aged 14 years or younger attended at the Dentistry Service of the Baix a Mar Integrated Primary Care Center who have caries in primary teeth with an indication for SDF treatment. All consecutive eligible children whose legal representatives agree to participate will be included.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Boys and girls aged 14 years or younger
  • Caries in primary teeth with an indication for SDF treatment according to section 4 of the Catalan Health Department guideline "Implementation of silver diamine fluoride treatment in primary and community care dental clinics: rationale and protocol for use"
  • Signed informed consent from the parent or legal representative
  • For participants aged 12 years or older, signed informed assent adapted to their level of understanding, in addition to the consent of their legal representatives

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Spontaneous or provoked pain associated with the caries lesion
  • Deep caries lesion close to the dental pulp, according to the investigator's judgment
  • Objection by the parents or the child to the black staining caused by SDF
  • Irreversible pulpitis or pulp necrosis
  • Active oral ulcers or gingivostomatitis
  • History of allergy to silver, ammonia, or iodine
  • Participation in another study involving an experimental intervention during the period of this study and/or with a visit schedule incompatible with this study

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: COHORT
  • Time Perspectives: PROSPECTIVE

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Children treated with silver diamine fluoride (SDF)

Children aged 14 years or younger with caries in primary teeth and an indication for SDF according to the Catalan Health Department guideline
Drug: Silver diamine fluoride 38%

Topical application of 38% silver diamine fluoride to caries lesions in primary teeth, following section 4.3 ("Guidelines for the use of SDF in primary and community care") of the Catalan Health Department guideline, as part of routine clinical practice.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proportion of treated caries lesions without progression
Time Frame: 12 months after SDF application

Number of caries lesions without progression divided by the total number of caries lesions treated with SDF. Progression (yes/no) is rated by the investigator based on visual appearance, tactile assessment with a dental probe, absence of symptoms, stability over time, and radiographs if needed.
12 months after SDF application

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Consorci Sanitari de l'Alt Penedès i Garraf

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 17, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
November 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 3, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
November 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
November 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
November 3, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
November 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • CSAPG-86

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

IPD (without personal identification data) could be shared by requirement from other researchers after the end of the study, and only for research purposes and previous approval of promotor center of the study (CSAPG). Anyway, Spanish and European Union legal policy about data protection will strictly be followed (IPD will not be transferred outside European Union).

IPD Sharing Time Frame

After publication of main results of the study.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

IPD will be shared only for scientific research purposes and following the Spanish and European Union normative law about data protection. The requirements will be directed to the IP of the study. The IP will evaluate the request to verify and evaluate the data that is requested and the purposes for which it is requested. Next, the IP will transfer the request to the promotor center the study for the final decision.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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