In-Office Bleaching: Effect of Preliminary Use of a Desensitizing Agent

One of the most common side effects of office bleaching is tooth sensitivity. Objective: this clinical study evaluated the effect of a desensitizing agent (Desensibilize KF 2% - FGM) used before in-office bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide gel (Whiteness HP Blue, FGM) in the bleaching efficiency (BE) and tooth sensitivity (TS). Methods: We selected 30 patients for this study. Before tooth bleaching, a placebo gel was applied on the buccal surfaces of all teeth for 10 min (n = 15). The desensitizing agent was applied in the experimental group as reported for the placebo group (n = 15). This protocol was repeated after 1 week. Patients used a scale of 0 to 4 to write down their tooth sensitivity. The color was registered before and after the 1^st and 2^nd sessions of bleaching using a value-oriented Vita Classical scale. We evaluated the BE and the TS by ANOVA and Tukey tests. Results: The % of patients with TS was analyzed by the Fisher`s test (a = 0.05). The use of a desensitizing gel did not affect the BE (B1/A1 color after two weeks for 90% of patients). 40% of the participants from the placebo group and 6.7% of desensitizing group presented TS (P <0.05). The intensity of TS was similar for both groups (median of 0 for both groups P> 0.05). Conclusion: The use of desensitizing gel before in-office bleaching reduced the number of patients with this side effect.