Effects of tooth-brushing force with a desensitising dentifrice on dentine tubule patency and surface roughness

To investigate the effects of a 5% NovaMin containing dentifrice on dentine tubule patency and surface roughness at 100g and 400g tooth brush abrasion forces.

75 polished human dentine samples were prepared and randomly allocated into one of five groups; control (1), Na₂PFO₃ 100g abrasion force (2), NovaMin 100g (3), Na₂PFO₃ 400g (4) and NovaMin 400g (5). The control group underwent two 2-min cycles of artificial saliva (AS), one 2-min erosion cycle; the rest underwent two toothbrush abrasion cycles in an AS/dentifrice slurry and one 2-min erosion cycle. All samples were imaged at baseline and post intervention using Tandem Scanning Microscopy and Profilometry to analyse tubule patency and roughness.

Mean tubule patency increased significantly between baseline and post intervention in groups 1,2 and 4 and decreased significantly post intervention in groups 3 and 5 (p<0.01). Post intervention, there were statistically significant differences in mean patent tubules between NovaMin and the Na₂PFO₃ and control groups (p<0.001). Surface roughness increased for all groups between baseline and post interventions (P<0.001); mean (SD) roughness increases for groups 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were 0.14 (0.05) μm, 0.18 (0.04) μm, 0.16 (0.06) μm, 0.19 (0.07) μm and 0.21 (0.02) μm respectively. Differences between group 1 and 5 were significant (p<0.01).

Brushing with NovaMin resulted in significant dentine tubule occlusion at 100g and 400g, but brushing with Na₂PFO₃ resulted in increased tubule patency. Surface roughness increased significantly at 400g brushing with NovaMin. There was no correlation between tubule patency and surface roughness.

A NovaMin desensitising dentifrice resulted in tubule occlusion even at high brushing forces. There was minimal increase in surface roughness at the lower (100g) brushing force.