ORAL HEALTH EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE PROGRAM
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Title Nd:YAG Laser Treatment for Dentin Hypersensitivity in Adults is Possibly More Effective Than Potassium Nitrate-Containing Toothpastes
Clinical Question Adult patients often complain of teeth sensitivity due to exposed dentin, so is Nd:YAG laser a more effective desensitizing treatment than potassium nitrate-containing toothpastes?
Clinical Bottom Line Treating dentin hypersensitivity with Nd:YAG laser may be more effective than potassium nitrate-containing toothpastes, however, more research is required. (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) 11034117Kimura/2000Review of articles from 1985 to 1999Non-systematic Review
Key resultsNd:YAG laser is more effective (effectiveness ranged from 51.5% to 100%) for treating dentin hypersensitivity than other methods, but less effective in severe cases.
Evidence Search Pubmed search using these terms: "Dentin Sensitivity"[Mesh] AND "Lasers"[Mesh]; "Dentin Sensitivity"[Mesh] AND “Potassium nitrate” [Mesh]
Comments on
The Evidence
The authors did not indicate clear searching methods and studies selection, nor did they specify the number of articles reviewed, and no meta-analysis was done. Also, the article stated that laser treatment was more effective than “other methods”, but it did not specify those methods. The patient pool is unknown. However, a Cochrane Systematic Review, Poulsen (2008, PMID 16855970), on potassium nitrate-containing toothpaste concluded that “no clear evidence is available for the support of potassium containing toothpastes for dentine hypersensitivity”.
Applicability For adult patients with hypersensitive dentin.
Specialty/Discipline (Endodontics) (General Dentistry) (Periodontics) (Restorative Dentistry)
Keywords Laser, Nd:YAG, potassium nitrate, dentin hypersensitivity, dentin sensitivity
ID# 582
Date of submission: 04/01/2010spacer
E-mail trannt@livemail.uthscsa.edu
Author Nghi Tran
Co-author(s)
Co-author(s) e-mail
Faculty mentor/Co-author Irene Bober-Moken, DMD, MPH
Faculty mentor/Co-author e-mail bobermoken@uthscsa.edu
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?)
post a rationale
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 Kelsey Rockey, Lorraine Bautista & Soulmaz Heydari (San Antonio, TX) on 01/07/2013
A PubMed search of MeSH terms "Dentin Sensitivity" AND "Lasers" was repeated on this day 1/7/2013. We found a more recent publication PubMed ID 21223353. This systematic review supports the CAT conclusion that lasers have a small clinical advantage over topical medications, but calls for further RCTs on the topic.
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