Knowledge, Practices and Attitudes towards Silver Diamine Fluoride Therapy among Dentists in Japan: A Mixed Methods Study

Hollis Haotian Chai, Sakura Kiuchi, Ken Osaka, Jun Aida, Chun-Hung Chu and Shiqian (Sherry) Gao
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Hollis Haotian Chai: Department of Stomatology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
Sakura Kiuchi: Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
Ken Osaka: Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
Jun Aida: Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
Chun-Hung Chu: Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
Shiqian (Sherry) Gao: Department of Stomatology, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 14, 1-16

Abstract: In 2021, the World Health Organization included silver diamine fluoride (SDF) as an essential medicine to manage caries in adults and children. SDF was developed in the 1960s, but its use for children became unpopular in Japan because of the decline and low prevalence of early childhood caries. This mixed methods study explored the knowledge, practices and attitudes towards SDF therapy among dentists promoting fluoride use in Japan. It also investigated senior dentists’ perceptions of SDF therapy in Japan. The quantitative study invited all 173 members of the largest organisation promoting fluoride use in Japan to complete a web-based questionnaire survey. Sixty (60/173; 35%) dentists promoting fluoride use in Japan completed the questionnaire survey. All dentists knew of SDF treatment, and 50 (50/60; 83%) used SDF for dental care. Fifty-nine dentists (59/60; 98%) agreed that SDF therapy was simple and quick. All 60 dentists agreed that SDF was effective to arrest caries; 51 dentists (51/60; 85%) agreed that SDF was effective to prevent caries. Most dentists (51/60; 85%) were concerned about SDF’s unaesthetic staining. Fifty-seven dentists (57/60; 95%) used SDF to arrest primary posterior teeth, and 52 dentists (52/60; 87%) used SDF to arrest root caries. However, 25 dentists (25/60; 42%) did not use SDF to prevent caries in permanent teeth. The qualitative study interviewed 12 senior dentists using snowball sampling and achieved data saturation. The dentists opined that SDF therapy was effective, simple, painless, non-invasive and inexpensive. SDF is seldom used in Japan at present because of the unaesthetic black staining and the low prevalence of early childhood caries; however, it can regain popularity by arresting root caries in the aging population.

Keywords: silver diamine fluoride; caries; children; older population; mixed methods research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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