Introduction: From a previous nightguard vital bleaching (NGVB) study, it was concluded that subjects answering “yes” to a questionnaire regarding preexisting sensitivity and/or consuming citrus drinks or sodas on a daily basis were at risk for tooth sensitivity(TS).
Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if the daily use of an active desensitizing gel (DSG) (UltraEZ
TM, Ultradent Inc) during (NGVB) would decrease (TS) in an at risk population when compared to a placebo.
Methods: Forty subjects participated in this single blind, randomized clinical trial, that had indicated sensitivity or other risk factors prior to treatment. To evaluate TS caused by the tray alone, subjects wore custom-fitted maxillary whitening trays containing no DSG or whitening solution during Week 1. Subjects were randomly assigned to apply either the active DSG or placebo daily for 14 days in the trays for 30 minutes prior to whitening. The placebo was the same formulation as Ultra EZ
TM but without the desensitizing agents (3% potassium nitrate and 0.11% by weight fluoride ion). The bleaching solution was a 10% carbamide peroxide whitening solution (Opalescence
TM, Ultradent Inc.). Post-treatment, subjects were followed for one week while they used neither trays nor solutions. Throughout the study subjects completed a daily diary to record their perception of TS and the time they wore the tray with the whitening solution.
Results: Forty-one percent of the active group had at least one day of TS during treatment compared to 78% of the placebo group. The difference was statistically significant (p>0.027) using the two-tailed Fisher’s exact test.
Conclusions: This study suggests that this active DSG decreases TS when compared to placebo among subjects at risk for developing TS when whitening.
Research Support: Ultadent, Inc.
EMAIL: Lynn_Smith@dentistry.unc.edu