Oxalic acid under adhesive restorations as a means to reduce dentin sensitivity: a four-month clinical trial

The aim of this double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial was to evaluate the reduction of dentin sensitivity using an oxalate-based compound, placed under adhesive restorations, during a four-month period. One hundred three preoperatively sensitive teeth, on 36 patients aged 25-66 years (mean, 40.3±7), were included in the study. Group A (experimental) was treated with oxalic acid (BisBlock) before resin-based composite (RBC) restorations (n=52), and group B (control) was treated with distilled water before RBC restorations (n=51). The first tooth in each patient was randomly assigned to group A, and the second tooth received group B. Clinical evaluation as made by a thermal/evaporation test with an air syringe and measurement by visual analog scale (VAS) at baseline and four months after treatment. The results showed sensitivity reduction during the evaluation period (expressed in VAS values): group A, 7.6 to 0.8; group B, 7.3 to 2.6. We concluded from this study that both treatments reduced dentin sensitivity during the evaluation period, with group A showing significantly less dentin sensitivity after four months (p<0.05).