ORAL HEALTH EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE PROGRAM
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Title The Effectiveness of Stannous Fluoride in Treating Dentinal Sensitivity
Clinical Question In a patient with dentinal sensitivity, will stannous fluoride reduce the pain from sensitivity better than no treatment at all?
Clinical Bottom Line The use of stannous fluoride solutions effectively reduces the pain associated with dentinal sensitivity. (See Comments on the CAT below)
Best Evidence (you may view more info by clicking on the PubMed ID link)
PubMed ID Author / Year Patient Group Study type
(level of evidence)
#1) 8021036Thrash/1994Various patients exhibiting dentinal hypersensitivity Meta-Analysis
Key resultsIt was found that the use of a 0.4% stannous fluoride gel significantly reduced the pain from dentinal sensitivity. Meta-analysis showed a mean effect size of 0.558 with a p-value of 0.00000006 between the treatment group and the control group.
Evidence Search Limits: Meta-Analysis Search "Tin "[Mesh]"Dentin "[Mesh]
Comments on
The Evidence
A systematic review of controlled clinical trials was performed. Subject assignment was not necessarily random. The way in which the trials were selected is unknown. However, each study utilized was assessed for validity. Four studies were considered in this review. Due to the small sample size of several of the trials, statistical power analysis was done to show that the sample size was adequate for the given results. A meta-analysis was also conducted to analyze the statistical significance of the results.
Applicability The patients in this review are very representative of everyday patients that exhibit dentinal hypersensitivity. The treatments they were given are practical and feasible in any dental office and can be incorporated into their home care. No potential harm was seen in the studies. The potential benefits of both immediate and long-term pain relief were seen in a majority of the patients.
Specialty/Discipline (General Dentistry) (Periodontics) (Dental Hygiene)
Keywords
ID# 554
Date of submission: 03/31/2010spacer
E-mail pitcher@livemail.uthscsa.edu
Author Brandon Pitcher
Co-author(s)
Co-author(s) e-mail
Faculty mentor/Co-author E. Penn Jackson, DDS
Faculty mentor/Co-author e-mail
Basic Science Rationale
(Mechanisms that may account for and/or explain the clinical question, i.e. is the answer to the clinical question consistent with basic biological, physical and/or behavioral science principles, laws and research?)
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None available
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Comments and Evidence-Based Updates on the CAT
(FOR PRACTICING DENTISTS', FACULTY, RESIDENTS and/or STUDENTS COMMENTS ON PUBLISHED CATs)
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by Mustafa Shinta (San Antonio, TX) on 04/16/2012
After conducting a PubMed search on this topic in April 2012, the publication you listed contained the highest level of evidence to the clinical question. However, There is another more recent publication on this topic in 2011. PubMed: 21702325. This was a RCT on 111 adults that published similar results but adds another publication that strengthens your evidence.
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