Therapeutic Use of Silver Nanoparticles in the Prevention and Arrest of Dental Caries

Table 1

Use of silver nanoparticles in the prevention and arrest of the dental caries.

Author/year	Type of study and intended effect on caries	Assessment method/combined strategy	Particle size (nm) and shape/method of obtaining	Outcome
Targino et al. [37] 2014	Experimental in vitro caries prevention	UV-visible, TEM, MIC 399.33 µg/ml AgNPs, 2,334 µg/mL chitosan, and 10,147 µg/ml NaF	5.9 ± 3.8, spherical chemical synthesis	NSF is a promising anticaries agent, with low toxicity and the potential advantage of not to stain teeth black
Scarpelli et al. [45] 2017	Experimental in vitro caries prevention	Microhardness testing (knoop-type penetrator (KHN)) superficial and internal, ADT MIC 0.016% AgNO3, and sodium citrate	NA NA green synthesis	Ag-nano remineralized deciduous dental enamel and better bactericidal activity; it does not cause darkening in demineralized teeth
Santos et al. [4] 2014	Controlled clinical trial caries arresting	ICDAS II 376.5 µg/ml AgNPs, 28,585 µg/ml chitosan, and 5028.3 µg/ml NaF	3.2 ± 1.2, spherical chemical synthesis	NFS is effective to arrest active dentine caries in deciduous teeth and not to stain teeth with one application per year
Butrón-Téllez Girón et al. [46] 2017	Controlled clinical trial caries prevention	UV-visible, TEM DIAGNOdent® AgNPs (powder), and Fluor Protector Varnish® at 0.1 %wt	46 pseudospherical chemical synthesis	Fluoride varnish with AgNPs was better in the dental remineralization than conventional varnish
Salas-López et al. [47] 2017	Controlled clinical trial caries prevention	DIAGNOdent® AgNPs 98 µg/ml and Clinpro^TM pit, an fissure sealant	40–80 NA chemical synthesis	AgNPs added sealant increased remineralization in permanent first molars compared to the conventional sealant
Soekanto et al. [48] 2017	Experimental in vitro caries prevention	EDX 3.16, 3.66 y 4.16% AgNO3, 5 ml gelatin, glucose 13.3 g/40 ml, distilled water, and 4.4 g NH4F	NA NA green synthesis	NSF showed an increase in calcium, phosphate, and fluoride ion levels compared to SDF
Soekanto et al. [49] 2017	Experimental in vitro caries prevention	SEM XRD 3.16, 3.66 y 4.16% AgNO3, 5 ml gelatin, glucose 13.3 g/40 ml, distilled water, and 4.4 g NH4F	NA NA green synthesis	NSF increases the intensity and quality of apatite crystal components, increasing remineralization
e Silva et al. [50] 2019	Experimental in vitro caries prevention	OCT .3 g/60 ml chitosan, 0.012 mol/L AgNO3, and 5500 ppm NaF	8.7 ± 3.1 NA chemical synthesis	NSF has the best effect against caries compared to conventional fluoride treatments
Tirupathi et al. [51] 2019	Controlled clinical trial caries arresting	UNC-5 probe AgNPs power 0.5 grams containing polyvinyl pyridoline added to 10 ml of 22,6000 ppm of sodium fluoride varnish (FLUORITOP^TM-SR)	−100 NA NA	Annual application of NSSF is better than or equal to SDF in preventing the progression of dentinal caries in deciduous molars, and it does not cause dark staining of dentinal tissue

AgNO₃: silver nitrate, AgNPs: silver nanoparticles, TEM: transmission electron microscopy, OCT: optical coherence tomography, NaF: sodium fluoride, MIC: minimum inhibitory concentration, NSF: silver nitrate, chitosan, and fluoride, NH₄F: ammonium fluoride, ICDAS II: International Caries Detection and Assessment System, EDX: energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, NFS: silver nitrate: gelatin, glucose, and ammonium fluoride, NSSF: nanosilver 5% and sodium fluoride, ADT: agar diffusion test, EDX: energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, SEM: scanning electron micrograph, XRD: X-ray diffraction.