A clinical, randomized, controlled study on the use of desensitizing agents during tooth bleaching.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of experimental proposals of desensitizing agents during tooth bleaching.

Methods: 140 participants without tooth sensitivity (TS) received 16% carbamide peroxide (14 days-04 h each) (T1) or 35% hydrogen peroxide (single session-45 min) (T2). Participants used concomitantly (10 per group): desensitizing dentifrices (D1-experimental bioactive glass-ceramic; D2-commercial potassium nitrate; D3-commercial calcium and sodium phosphosilicate) in-home, daily and, desensitizing pastes (D4-experimental bioactive glass-ceramic; D5-experimental Bioglass type 45S5; D6-commercial calcium phosphate), in-office, immediately after the treatment and more 4 times. Participants in the control group did not use any desensitizing agent. We assessed TS with Visual Analogue Scale. Assessment point 1 was immediately after the first participant's exposure to the treatments; and points 2, 3, 4, and 5 were every 72 h along the period of the study. Two-way ANOVA (considering time and desensitizing as factors) and post-hoc Tukey test (α=0.05) analyzed the data.

Results: In the control group treated with 35% hydrogen peroxide, TS increased significantly on assessment points 1 and 2. The participants who used a 5% potassium nitrate dentifrice and in-office experimental pastes did not experience TS because of the 35% in-office bleaching treatment.

Conclusions: TS caused by 35% hydrogen peroxide in-office tooth bleaching was controlled by experimental products prepared as pastes D4-experimental bioactive glass-ceramic and D5-experimental Bioglass type 45S5, but not by D1-experimental dentifrice containing bioactive glass-ceramic.

Clinical Significance: There is no a gold standard protocol for TS caused by tooth bleaching. The study of novel desensitizing agents that can obliterate the dentinal tubules in a faster-acting and long-lasting way may help meet this clinical need.