Short-term effectiveness of three agents for dentin hypersensitivity treatment: A randomized clinical trial

Dentin hypersensitivity is common and many desensitizing agents exist, but comparative data across products and delivery methods remain limited. Therefore, it is of interest to compare three interventions-GLUMA Desensitizer, Clinpro XT Fluoride Varnish and 1.23% APF gel with iontophoresis applied in 75 patients using two stimuli (cold air blast and explorer scratching) and assessed by VAS at six time points up to 120 days. All three groups showed significant reductions in hypersensitivity over time on both stimuli, with the greatest VAS decline seen in the APF-iontophoresis group, particularly under air blast stimulation (mean change 63.28 ±12.80; p < 0.001). No significant intergroup differences were observed with explorer scratching, suggesting stimulus-dependent discrimination of efficacy. Thus, we show that 1.23% APF gel with iontophoresis provides the most sustained and clinically meaningful relief, supporting its preferential use for long-term management of air-induced dentin hypersensitivity.