Hypersensitive dentinal pain attenuation with potassium nitrate
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Published on: January 10, 2014
1Division of Periodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Abstract:
Dentinal hypersensitivity occurs when gingival recession exposes dentin at the cervical margins of teeth. Twenty-four periodontal patients, with postoperative hypersensitive dentin were treated by burnishing saturated potassium nitrate (KNO3) to relieve pain. Using a visual analogue scale with participants acting as their own control, a subjective assessment of pain was measured and compared before and after KNO3 application. Thirty-six regions involving 98 teeth were assessed. A significant reduction of sensitivity and pain was achieved by using a saturated KNO3 solution (p < .0001 Student-t).
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