An invitro study of caries arresting effect of propolis fluoride and silver diamine fluoride on dentine carious lesions

According to Riskesdas, 25.9% of Indonesians have caries. Most are from the lower economic groups. Limitations of health facilities led to the need for treatments for caries that are easy to apply and affordable. The objective of the study was to compare the antibacterial and remineralization ability of propolis fluoride (Propolis fluoride) and silver diamine fluoride (SDF) on arresting caries of primary teeth. Methods using in the study was propolis fluoride and SDF materials were tested with the total plate count (TPC) method to determine their antibacterial ability. Observations using SEM and EDX were conducted to determine Propolis fluoride and SDF's remineralization ability. As the results, in the TPC method, Propolis fluoride has the ability to significantly decrease the growth of Streptococcus mutans. In the SEM method, the negative control group looked more porous than the positive control group. In the Propolis fluoride group, it appears that the demineralization porous areas are covered by a granulated layer of Propolis fluoride. It was concluded that propolis fluoride has major potential to be an alternative to SDF for arresting dentinal caries.