Table 1 Participants expressed as number and percentage of the dentists’ education, attitudes toward SDF and behavior on its use in clinical practice (participants 3337)
Item | N (%) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Domain 2: training received and clinical knowledge on SDF | |||||
How well were you educated about SDF during undergraduate course… | Very well | Well | A little | Not at all | |
in classroom settings? | 29 (1.0) | 203 (6.1) | 768 (23.0) | 2337 (70.0) | |
in clinical settings? | 32 (1.0) | 188 (5.6) | 668 (20.0) | 2449 (73.4) | |
How well were you educated about SDF after graduation… | Very well | Well | A little | Not at all | |
in Continuing Education Courses? | 68 (2.0) | 280 (8.4) | 1022 (30.6) | 1967 (58.9) | |
with dental journals/other publications? | 84 (2.5) | 396 (11.9) | 1392 (41.7) | 1465 (43.9) | |
through dental organizations? | 69 (2.1) | 355 (10.6) | 1213 (36.4) | 1700 (50.9) | |
with online resources? | 118 (3.5) | 485 (14.5) | 1303 (39.1) | 1431 (42.9) | |
in post-graduate courses? | 73 (2.2) | 222 (6.6) | 799 (23.9) | 2243 (67.2) | |
How much do you know about how SDF is used… | Very well | Well | A little | Not at all | |
for treatment of tooth hypersensitivity? | 66 (2.0) | 570 (17.1) | 1496 (44.8) | 1205 (36.1) | |
to treat dental caries in pediatric patients? | 101 (3.0) | 639 (19.1) | 1508 (45.2) | 1089 (32.6) | |
to treat dental caries in adult patients? | 66 (2.0) | 457 (13.7) | 1504 (45.1) | 1310 (39.3) | |
Domain 3: dentist’s attitudes toward SDF | |||||
How much do you disagree/agree with the following statements? SDF can be used… | Strongly agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly disagree | I don’t know |
to arrest non-cavitated lesions | 416 (12.5) | 1693 (50.7) | 346 (10.4) | 85 (2.5) | 797 (23.9) |
to arrest enamel cavitated lesion | 332 (10.0) | 1723 (51.6) | 401 (12.0) | 51 (1.5) | 830 (24.9) |
to arrest dentin cavitated lesion | 194 (5.8) | 1159 (34.7) | 899 (26.9) | 164 (4.9) | 921 (27.6) |
to arrest cavitated root caries | 170 (5.1) | 1061 (31.8) | 858 (25.7) | 254 (7.6) | 994 (29.8) |
after removing infected soft dentin | 180 (5.4) | 1224 (36.7) | 822 (24.6) | 161 (4.8) | 950 (28.5) |
without restorative treatment | 152 (4.6) | 1259 (37.7) | 728 (21.8) | 123 (3.7) | 1075 (32.2) |
Is SDF a good treatment for lesions that are… | Yes | No | I don’t know | ||
in the aesthetic zone on primary teeth? | 385 (11.5) | 2005 (60.1) | 947 (28.4) | ||
in the posterior zone on primary teeth? | 1353 (40.5) | 1037 (31.1) | 947 (28.4) | ||
in the aesthetic zone on permanent teeth? | 310 (9.3) | 2080 (62.3) | 947 (28.4) | ||
in the posterior zone on permanent teeth? | 1648 (49.4) | 742 (22.2) | 947 (28.4) | ||
Is SDF a good alternative treatment for patient… | Yes | No | I don’t know | ||
special needs? | 1517 (45.4) | 963 (28.9) | 857 (25.7) | ||
with severe dental anxiety? | 1409 (42.2) | 1071 (32.1) | 857 (25.7) | ||
with behavioral issues? | 2012 (60.3) | 468 (14.0) | 857 (25.7) | ||
low-income? | 788 (23.6) | 1692 (50.7) | 857 (25.7) | ||
taking bisphosphonate? | 342 (10.2) | 2138 (64.1) | 857 (25.7) | ||
during/shortly after radiotherapy or chemotherapy? | 556 (16.6) | 1924 (57.7) | 857 (25.7) | ||
Domain 4: dentists’ behavior on the use of SDF in clinical practice | |||||
What are your doubts about SDF? | Yes | No | I don’t know | ||
Poor scientific evidence | 217 (6.5) | 2377 (71.2) | 743 (22.3) | ||
Permanent discoloration of treated teeth | 2228 (66.7) | 306 (11.0) | 743 (22.3) | ||
Cost for the patients | 134 (4.0) | 2460 (73.7) | 743 (22.3) | ||
Failure to restore functional anatomy of teeth | 1100 (32.9) | 1494 (44.8) | 743 (22.3) | ||
Concern for patient satisfaction | 860 (25.7) | 1734 (52.0) | 743 (22.3) | ||
Off-label use | 292 (8.7) | 2302 (69.0) | 743 (22.3) | ||
Do you use SDF? | Yes | No | |||
688 (20.62) | 2649 (79.38) | ||||
How often did you use SDF… | Very often | Often | Rarely | Never | |
to treat tooth sensitivity? | 14 (0.4) | 158 (4.7) | 455 (13.6) | 2710 (81.2) | |
to prevent dental caries? | 14 (0.4) | 179 (5.4) | 414 (12.4) | 2730 (81.8) | |
to arrest dental caries in primary teeth? | 21 (0.6) | 207 (6.2) | 412 (12.4) | 2697 (80.8) | |
to arrest dental caries in permanent teeth? | 13 (0.4) | 148 (4.4) | 406 (12.7) | 2770 (83.0) | |
to treat cavitated caries lesion without restoration? | 33 (1.0) | 156 (4.7) | 348 (10.4) | 2800 (83.9) | |
What kind of SDF’s protocol do you use? | |||||
One-shot | 144 (4.3) | ||||
An application every week for 1 month | 23 (0.7) | ||||
An application every 3 months | 210 (6.3) | ||||
An application every 6 months | 71 (2.1) | ||||
An application every 12 months | 24 (0.7) | ||||
Based on lesion characteristics/patient ‘s caries risk | 216 (6.5) | ||||
I don ‘t use SDF | 2649 (79.4) | ||||
Do you expect to increase your future usage of SDF? | Yes | No | |||
2461 (73.7) | 876 (26.3) | ||||