Comparative investigation of the desensitizing efficacy of a new dentifrice containing 5.5% potassium citrate: an eight-week clinical study

OBJECTIVE: This double-blind clinical study was designed to investigate the relative effectiveness of a new desensitizing test dentifrice containing 5.5% potassium citrate, 1.14% sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP) and 10% high-cleaning silica (HCS) in a silica base for reducing dentinal hypersensitivity over an eight-week period, to that of a commercially available desensitizing positive control dentifrice containing 3.75% potassium chloride, 0.32% sodium fluoride and 0.3% triclosan in a silica base. METHODOLOGY: A total of 80 subjects were entered into the study, and stratified into two balanced groups according to their baseline mean thermal (air blast) and baseline mean tactile (Yeaple Probe) sensitivity scores. The two groups were randomly assigned to use either the test dentifrice containing potassium citrate/MFP/HCS, or the positive control dentifrice containing potassium chloride/sodium fluoride/triclosan. The two groups were well balanced with regard to their mean baseline thermal and tactile sensitivity scores, sex and age. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth twice daily (morning and evening) for one minute with their assigned dentifrice and a commercially available soft-bristled toothbrush. Dentinal hypersensitivity examinations, which included tactile sensitivity and thermal sensitivity, were conducted at baseline, four weeks, and eight weeks. Examinations were conducted by the same dental examiner on the subjects at each examination. RESULTS: After four weeks' use of their assigned products, those subjects in the test dentifrice group demonstrated no statistically significant difference for controlling dentinal hypersensitivity as compared to the positive control dentifrice group in tactile and air blast. After eight weeks' use of their assigned products, those subjects in the test dentifrice group again demonstrated no statistically significant difference in tactile and air blast sensitivity as compared to the positive control dentifrice group. CONCLUSION: The results of this double-blind clinical study indicate that the use of a commercially available test dentifrice containing 5.5% potassium citrate, 1.14% sodium monofluorophosphate and 10% high-cleaning silica in a silica base demonstrates no statistically significant difference in tactile and air blast sensitivity compared to the commercially available desensitizing positive control dentifrice containing 3.75% potassium chloride, 0.32% sodium fluoride and 0.3% triclosan in a silica base.