Effect of a stannous fluoride toothpaste on dentinal hypersensitivity: In vitro and clinical evaluation.

BACKGROUND

The authors conducted an in vitro and a clinical study to assess the effect of a toothpaste containing stannous fluoride to occlude dentin tubules and reduce dentinal hypersensitivity.

METHODS

For the in vitro study, the authors treated the surface of human dentin specimens with test or control toothpaste slurries and then evaluated them by using various spectroscopic techniques. For the clinical study, male and female participants who met the inclusion criteria brushed their teeth twice daily for 1 minute with test or control toothpaste. The authors assessed dentinal hypersensitivity by using tactile and air blast stimuli at baseline and after 4 and 8 weeks. All statistical tests of hypotheses were 2 sided, with a significance level of α set at .05.

RESULTS

Results from in vitro studies showed that the test toothpaste effectively occluded the dentinal tubules with a deposit consisting of tin, zinc, phosphate, and silicon. The test and control toothpastes occluded the tubules 82% and 35%, respectively. Clinically, at the 4- and 8-week examinations, the test toothpaste provided statistically significant (P < .001) improvements in tactile dentinal hypersensitivity scores of 27.8% and 42.0% and in air blast hypersensitivity scores of 21.4% and 32.3%, respectively, relative to the control toothpaste.

CONCLUSIONS

The in vitro results indicate the toothpaste containing 0.454% stannous fluoride effectively coated dentin surfaces and occluded patent dentin tubules. Compared with the control toothpaste, the test toothpaste provided a significant reduction in dentinal hypersensitivity after 8 weeks of product use.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

A multi-benefit option for patients with dentinal hypersensitivity.