| 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 |
|
| PubMed ID |
Author / Year |
Patient Group |
Study type
(level of evidence) |
| 11034117 | Kimura/2000 | Review of articles from 1985 to 1999 | Non-systematic Review | | Key results | Nd: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 |
(Endodontics) (General Dentistry) (Periodontics) (Restorative Dentistry) |
| Keywords |
Laser, Nd:YAG, potassium nitrate, dentin hypersensitivity, dentin sensitivity
|
| ID# |
582 |
| Date of submission |
04/01/2010 |
| E-mail |
trannt@livemail.uthscsa.edu |
| Author |
Nghi Tran |
| Co-author(s) |
|
| Co-author(s) e-mail |
|
| Faculty mentor |
Irene Bober-Moken, DMD, MPH |
| Faculty mentor 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?) |
| None available | |
 |
Comments and Evidence-Based Updates on the CAT
(FOR PRACTICING DENTISTS', FACULTY, RESIDENTS and/or STUDENTS COMMENTS ON PUBLISHED CATs) |
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. | |