Paradigm shift in the effective treatment of caries in schoolchildren at risk.

Background:  Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is an effective agent for the arrest of caries in children, is easy to apply and can be used outside the clinical environment. Interim restorative treatment (IRT) using glass ionomer cement has also been claimed to be a simple and effective method to arrest caries in deciduous teeth.

Objective:  To examine whether, for underprivileged schoolchildren with cavities, treatment with 30% SDF gives better results than IRT for carries arrest.

[Early childhood caries: prevalence and risk factors in 4-year-old preschoolers in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brasil].

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of early childhood caries (ECC), in a cohort of children of low socioeconomic status at 48 months of age in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil, in relation to feeding practices, oral health behaviors, fluoride exposure, and enamel defects. 224 children were clinically examined in the Knee-Knee position at the children's home under natural light. Teeth were dried and cleaned with gauze, and caries (WHO index) and defect (DDE Index) were determined.