Efficacy of bioactive glass-based desensitizer compared to other desensitizing agents or techniques in dentin hypersensitivity: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of home and professional single-application desensitizers that contain bioactive glass in comparison to other desensitizing methods and agents or negative controls in randomized controlled trials.

METHODS

Two reviewers searched the electronic databases Cochrane Central Library, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science using specific keywords. The randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) that focused on the use of bioactive glass-based desensitizers to treat dentin hypersensitivity (DH) through December 2024 were included. Data extraction, selection, and screening were completed. Descriptive analyses were conducted, and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and updated Cochrane tools were used to evaluate the quality assessment and risk of bias, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 30 studies were involved in this evaluation, and all of them were assessed as low risk of bias except one that had some concerns. Pain responses of 2845 patients with an age range of 17-75 years were assessed in this review. The efficacy of bioactive glass-based desensitizers in reducing sensitivity pain was superior compared to baseline and to various desensitizing agents and placebo. The follow-up assessment time was varied, and accordingly, the long-term efficacy of bioactive glass was similar to other agents.

CONCLUSIONS

With the limitation of this review, the bioactive-glass-based desensitizing agent used in-office or at home is effective to reduce DH response in the immediate, medium, or long term up to 12 weeks. The efficacy of this agent is comparable to most of the available desensitizers in the long term; however, it is more effective in the immediate to medium term, up to 4 weeks.