D Hamlin¹, K Phelan Williams¹, E Delgado², YP Zhang², W DeVizio², LR Mateo³

In: American Journal of Dentistry 2009 (in press)

¹ Contract Dental Evaluations, Langhorn, PA
² Colgate-Palmolive Technology Center, Piscataway, NJ
³ LRM Consulting, Hoboken, NJ

Study objectives:
The objective of the study was to compare the efficacy in reducing dentin hypersensitivity of two in-office pastes when applied as a pre-procedure to a professional dental cleaning.

Trial conditions and methods

Products under investigation
Test: Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief desensitizing paste (Colgate Palmolive, New York, NY) containing 8% arginine in a calcium carbonate/silica base. Control: Nupro pumice-based fluoride free prophylaxis paste (Dentsply, York, PA)

Study subjects
A total of 45 male and female subjects (aged between 23 and 66 years) with established dentin hypersensitivity (two hypersensitive teeth with a tactile sensitivity score [Yeaple probe] of 10-50 grams of force and an air blast score of 2 or 3 on the Schiff Cold Air Sensitivity Scale)

Methods
In this double-blind, parallel group study, 45 subjects with established dentin hypersensitivity were randomly assigned to either the test (n=22) or control (n=23) group. Following baseline evaluation of dentin hypersensitivity, the assigned in office paste was applied as a pre-procedural step prior to professional cleaning. Immediately after completion of the cleaning procedure, subjects were re-evaluated for tactile and air blast sensitivity scores. Statistical analyses were performed separately for tactile and air blast scores. Within treatment comparisons were performed using a T-test. Comparisons between Clinical efficacy of Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief in-office desensitizing paste treatments using baseline adjusted scores were performed using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

Results
Immediately after the cleaning procedure, subjects assigned to the test product demonstrated statistically significant improvements from baseline in tactile (143.9%) and air blast (49.4%) sensitivity scores. At the same time point, subjects assigned to the control product demonstrated statistically significant improvements from baseline in air blast (12.9%) sensitivity score. The improvement from baseline in tactile sensitivity score (16.2%) in the control subjects was not statistically significant.

Immediately after the cleaning procedure, the test product group demonstrated statistically significant improvements compared to the control group in tactile (110.0%) and air blast (41.9%) sensitivity scores.

Conclusion
When applied prior to a professional dental cleaning, Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief desensitizing paste with 8% arginine and calcium carbonate provides a statistically significant reduction in dentin hypersensitivity measured immediately following the dental cleaning as compared to a control prophylaxis paste.