In Vitro Characterisation of Teethmate: A Calcium-Phosphate Based Dentine Desensitiser

Objectives: To characterise apatite formation and to assess effectiveness of Teethmate (TM) in treating dentine hypersensitivity .
Methods: Healthy molars were sectioned mid-coronally to produce dentine discs. Pashley type hydraulic conductance was performed on the discs to assess tubular occlusion before and after treatment with TM. Thereafter, the discs were desiccated, fractured and observed under SEM.
To assess rate of apatite formation, 4mm (D) X 6mm (L) cylinders of TM were produced and immersed in TRIS-buffer and artificial saliva for different time periods. This was followed by characterisation of the cements using FTIR, XRD and ³¹P MAS-NMR.
Results: TM treated discs showed a reduction in hydraulic conductance compared to non-treated samples. SEM analysis also confirmed tubular occlusion through formation of plate-like crystals. Characterisation studies indicated that TM cement samples immersed in TRIS-buffer formed an apatite phase, most likely calcium-deficient apatite, within 6 hours of immersion. This change was more rapid for samples stored in artificial saliva.
Conclusions: This study suggests that TM converts to apatite like phases and provides an effective option for the treatment of dentine hypersensitivity.