Title Dentin Sensitive Toothpaste Does Effectively Reduce Tooth Sensitivity
Clinical Question Does using tooth sensitive toothpaste more effectively reduce the side effect of tooth sensitivity after teeth whitening compared to conventional toothpaste?
Clinical Bottom Line Using a new dentin sensitive toothpaste does effectively reduce tooth sensitivity caused by teeth whitening products compared to regular toothpastes.
Best Evidence  
PubMed ID Author / Year Patient Group Study type
(level of evidence)
11686824Sowinski/2001102 healthy volunteers with at least one sensitive tooth Randomized Controlled Trial
Key resultsAll of the subjects in both clinical trails had at least two sensitive root surfaces at the start of the study. They were all stratified by air blast sensitivity, baseline tactile, and the number of sensitive teeth. The first study compared a new toothpaste, which contained potassium nitrate, stannous fluoride and sodium fluoride to a regular fluoride toothpaste, and the second study compared the new toothpaste to the commercially available tooth sensitivity toothpaste Sensodyne. The subjects in study 1 tolerated greater pressure after 4 and 8 weeks than the group using the regular toothpaste. The subjects also had a lower mean blast score at 4 and 8 weeks. The subjects of the second study showed the same results as the first study. The subjects using the new toothpaste tolerated greater pressure and had lower mean blast scores compared to the subjects using Sensodyne. The findings demonstrated that the new dentifrice is better at reducing dentine hypersensitivity than both the conventional toothpaste containing sodium fluoride and Sensodyne, which contains potassium chloride, triclosan and sodium fluoride.
Evidence Search ("potassium nitrate"[Supplementary Concept] AND "Dentin Sensitivity"[Mesh]) AND "Toothpastes"[Mesh]
Comments on
The Evidence
The evidence did not focus exclusively on patients with tooth sensitivity caused by teeth whitening, but more on the overall effectiveness of sensitive toothpaste. It would be more beneficial to find evidence that had subjects who had tooth sensitivity caused directly by teeth whitening products. It also did not focus on whether Sensodyne was more effective at reducing tooth sensitivity compared to regular toothpaste.
Applicability I think this evidence is applicable for patients who are curious to know if it is worth it to spend that extra money on tooth sensitive toothpaste instead of purchasing the regular toothpaste. It is also applicable for patients who have tooth sensitivity from teeth whitening products or other materials that causes tooth sensitivity. This new product is not yet widely available for the general public to purchase.
Specialty (General Dentistry) (Dental Hygiene)
Keywords Dentin Sensitivity, Sensitive Dentifrice
ID# 2418
Date of submission 02/28/2013
E-mail hienphunguyen@gmail.com
Author Hien Nguyen
Co-author(s)
Co-author(s) e-mail
Faculty mentor Karen Troendle, DDS, MPH
Faculty mentor e-mail troendle@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?)
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)
by Thais Phillips (San Antonio, Texas) on 09/26/2021
A PubMed search was performed on this topic in September 2021. A more recent publication was found: Meng-Long Hu 2019, PubMed ID 31325467. This meta-analysis compares different desensitizing toothpastes and placebo in terms of their effects on dentine hypersensitivity. This publication further supports the conclusions of this CAT.