A comparative evaluation of the efficacy of two novel desensitising dentifrices

A Comparative Analysis of the Occluding Effects on Dentinal Tubules With the Use of Er:YAG Laser and a Commercially Available Desensitizing Agent: An In Vitro Scanning Electron Microscopic Study

Objective This in vitro scanning electron microscopic (SEM) study aimed to compare the effect of Er:YAG laser and a commercially launched dental product namely 8% arginine-calcium carbonate on exposed dentinal tubules. Materials and methods A total of 120 tooth samples prepared from healthy maxillary first premolars extracted due to orthodontic reasons were grouped randomly into four groups of 30 samples each - Group I: control group (C); Group II: laser group (LG); Group III: toothpaste group (TP) and Group IV: laser + toothpaste group (LT). The samples in Group II-IV were treated with the respective test agents and were placed under SEM to study the changes in the dentinal tubule number and diameter. The data obtained from SEM were then subjected to statistical analysis using an unpaired t-test. Results The unpaired t-test revealed extreme statistical differences in means between the test and the control groups and among the test groups (p<0.0001). The results we obtained within the scope of this study showed that both the Er:YAG laser (1.3 W, 100 mJ, 3 Hz, 60 s twice) and dentifrice containing 8% arginine-calcium carbonate as the main ingredient can significantly reduce the number and diameter of the open dentinal tubules. Conclusion Our findings have demonstrated that both the 8% arginine-calcium carbonate technology and Er:YAG laser successfully reduced the number and diameter of the open dentinal tubules and hence can be promising agents to deal with dentinal hypersensitivity in future clinical studies.

Comparison of the effectiveness of three different desensitizing toothpastes in reducing dentin hypersensitivity: A 4-week clinical study

Aim:

To compare the effectiveness of three different desensitizing toothpastes containing potassium salt, natural ingredients, and 8% arginine in reducing dentin hypersensitivity (DH).

Materials and Methods:

A 4-week study was conducted on 45 adult patients suffering from hypersensitivity associated with cervical abrasion of two or more teeth anterior to the molars. Patients were divided into three toothpaste groups as follows: Group I: potassium salt, Group II: herbal desensitizing paste containing natural ingredients, and Group III: 8% arginine. Using tactile stimulus and air stimulus, the sensitivity scores were recorded using Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at baseline, immediately after application, after 1 week, after 2 weeks, and after 4 weeks.

Statistical Analysis:

One-way ANOVA test and post hoc Tukey's test were used, and P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

Group III showed significantly better reduction in DH at all time intervals when compared with Group I. Group III was significantly better than Group II at 1, 2, and 4 weeks.

Conclusion:

Desensitizing toothpaste containing 8% arginine was found to be the most effective in the reduction of DH after a single application up to a period of 4 weeks followed by herbal desensitizing toothpaste and potassium salt-containing toothpaste.

Evaluating the statistical methodology of randomized trials on dentin hypersensitivity management

The present study aimed to evaluate the characteristics and quality of statistical methodology used in clinical studies on dentin hypersensitivity management. An electronic search was performed for data published from 2009 to 2014 by using PubMed, Ovid/MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases. The primary search terms were used in combination. Eligibility criteria included randomized clinical trials that evaluated the efficacy of desensitizing agents in terms of reducing dentin hypersensitivity. A total of 40 studies were considered eligible for assessment of quality statistical methodology. The four main concerns identified were i) use of nonparametric tests in the presence of large samples, coupled with lack of information about normality and equality of variances of the response; ii) lack of P-value adjustment for multiple comparisons; iii) failure to account for interactions between treatment and follow-up time; and iv) no information about the number of teeth examined per patient and the consequent lack of cluster-specific approach in data analysis. Owing to these concerns, statistical methodology was judged as inappropriate in 77.1% of the 35 studies that used parametric methods. Additional studies with appropriate statistical analysis are required to obtain appropriate assessment of the efficacy of desensitizing agents.