The Effectiveness of the Use of Silver Fluoride and Teledentistry to Manage and Prevent Childhood Caries Among Aboriginal Children in Remote Communities: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Australian Aboriginal children experience dental decay at more than twice the rate of non-Aboriginal children. The Select Committee into the Provision of and Access to Dental Services in Australia noted that the rate of potentially preventable hospitalizations was the highest among children aged between 5 and 9 years and was higher among Indigenous Australians and those living in remote locations. The application of a silver fluoride (AgF) solution to decayed surfaces has been shown to be effective in stopping the decay process and reducing the occurrence of new decay but has been tested to a limited extent in the Australian context.