A 3-day randomised clinical study investigating the efficacy of two toothpastes,designed to occlude dentine tubules,for the treatment of dentine hypersensitivity

Objectives

A product comparison study to compare the short term clinical efficacy of a strontium acetate/silica toothpaste with an arginine/calcium carbonate paste for pain reduction in dentine hypersensitivity.

Methods

The study was examiner blind of two arm parallel design. Eighty healthy adult subjects from general dental practice with ≥2 sensitive teeth but otherwise good oral health, were enrolled and randomised to 1 of 2 toothpaste treatments, schedule provided by the sponsor. Almost equal numbers received each treatment. Tooth sensitivity was measured in three ways; evaporative (Schiff score; Visual Analogue Scale) and tactile stimuli (Yeaple probe), prior to and immediately after subjects’ self application of a single pea sized dose of toothpaste, and following subsequent twice daily brushing for three days with the paste.

Results

All 80 subjects completed the study. Results confirm that for both treatments, pain was reduced immediately and relief was sustained after 3 days use. For all 3 measures, benefit was similar between the two pastes, with no statistical or clinical difference demonstrated, apart from response to evaporative stimulus at 3 days, where Schiff scores were significantly lower in the arginine group, p = 0.02.

Conclusions

It can be concluded that both desensitising, occluding toothpastes provided reduction of pain from dentine hypersensitivity on a short term basis: toothpastes appearing to be clinically similarly effective both after a single subject dab on application and post twice daily brushing for three days.National Research Ethics Service register number 09/H020/57.