A double blind controlled trial comparing three treatment modalities for dentin hypersensitivity

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Dental Materials Science
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Dentinal hypersensitivity is a common clinical condition.
• Effective management of dentinal hypersensitivity is crucial for patient comfort and quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of three dentin desensitizing modalities against a placebo.
• To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of these treatments.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, double-blind, split-mouth study involving 25 patients and 260 teeth.
• Treatments included 2% NaF solution, HEMA-G (Hydroxy-Ethyl-Methacrylate and Glutaraldehyde), iontophoresis with distilled water (placebo), and NaF-iontophoresis.
• Pain was assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) with tactile, air blast, and cold-water stimuli at multiple time points.

Main Results:

• All tested treatments significantly reduced dentinal hypersensitivity.
• NaF-iontophoresis (Group D) and HEMA-G (Group B) demonstrated greater effectiveness than 2% NaF solution (Group A) and placebo (Group C) across all intervals.
• While NaF-iontophoresis and HEMA-G were comparable at 15 days and 1 month, NaF-iontophoresis showed superior efficacy at the 3-month mark.

Conclusions:

• All evaluated treatments effectively reduced dentinal hypersensitivity compared to placebo.
• 2% NaF-iontophoresis and HEMA-G provided superior desensitizing effects over 2% NaF application.
• NaF-iontophoresis exhibited the most sustained efficacy up to 3 months, outperforming HEMA-G.