Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39833773›Full record

ArticleBMC oral health2025

Training received, knowledge, and use of Silver Diamine Fluoride among Italian dentists: a nationwide survey.

Claudia Salerno, Giulio Conti, Silvia Cirio, Cinzia Maspero, Andrea Senna, Guglielmo Campus, Maria Grazia Cagetti

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC oral health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Knowledge, attitude and practice of paediatric dentists towards silver diammine fluoride in Egypt: a national survey.European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Knowledge and attitudes regarding silver diamine fluoride among Brazilian dentists: a cross-sectional study.European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry · 2026
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Claudia SalernoDepartment of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 7, Bern, 3012, Switzerland.
Giulio ContiDepartment of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Varese, 21100, Italy.
Silvia CirioDepartment of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Cinzia MasperoDepartment of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
Andrea SennaItalian National Commission of the Dental Board, Milan, Italy.
Guglielmo CampusDepartment of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse 7, Bern, 3012, Switzerland. guglielmo.campus@unibe.ch.
Maria Grazia CagettiDepartment of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo investigate the education, knowledge and behaviour of Italian dentists regarding Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF).

methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from January to December 2022, through an online survey linked to an online continuing medical education (CME) course sent to Italian dentists. A priori power analysis estimated the necessary sample to be 1480 dentists with an anticipated frequency of 50% and a power of 99.99%. The questionnaire included 46 questions on participants ' demographic characteristics, training received, clinical knowledge of SDF, and attitudes and behaviours regarding its use. Descriptive statistics, bivariate, and mutlivariable regression analyses were performed to determine the association between the variables.

resultsThe response rate was 6.1% with 3876 respondents, evenly distributed geographically. Less than 10% of respondents had received training at undergraduate, postgraduate or masters level. A minority of dentists were familiar with the use of SDF for the treatment of dentine hypersensitivity (19.0%) and for the treatment of caries in children (22.2%) and adults (15.7%). The percentage of dentists who reported SDF use at least once was 20.6%. On mutlivariable analysis (χ

conclusionsOverall, Italian dentists ' education, knowledge, and use of SDF were relatively poor. The majority of the sample 's responses were not consistent with scientific evidence. The use of SDF among Italian dentists is still far from being a reality. In Italy, it is necessary to increase training on SDF, primarily through the university, to hopefully increase its use, especially in non-invasive caries treatment.

Indexed as

Cariostatic AgentsDentistsFluorides, TopicalHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticePractice Patterns, Dentists'Quaternary Ammonium CompoundsSilver CompoundsAdultCross-Sectional StudiesDental CariesDentin SensitivityEducation, Dental, ContinuingFemaleHumansItalyMaleCariostatic AgentsFluorides, TopicalQuaternary Ammonium CompoundsSilver Compoundssilver diamine fluorideDental cariesDental educationPediatric dentistrySilver diamine fluoride

Identifiers

PMID39833773
PMCPMC11748836

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.