When silver diamine fluoride (SDF) was applied to the root surface of older people, dentin hypersensitivity was reduced by almost 60%.
The authors report that this is the first clinical study investigating the short-term and long-term desensitizing effect of SDF on hypersensitive teeth due to exposed root surfaces in the elderly.
“To date, there is no gold standard for professionally applied desensitization therapy in the treatment of hypersensitivity,” write the authors, led by Dr. Chun Hung Chu of Prince Philip Dental Hospital in Hong Kong. “The data from this clinical study may help clinical practice and improve oral health in older people.”
Hyperesthesia can cause pain that can interfere with normal oral hygiene, compromising gum health, limiting food choices, and reducing a person's quality of life. Therefore, appropriate measures followed by intervention, such as the use of a desensitizing agent, are essential.
These drugs are simple, non-invasive, and inexpensive treatments that can be used in older people who have the disease and who experience physical and financial difficulties more often than younger patients. However, studies on the effectiveness of these agents have been limited so far.
The study involved 139 patients over 65 years of age. To evaluate the desensitizing effect of topical application, a 38% SDF solution or 5% potassium nitrate solution was applied to the exposed root surface of hypersensitive teeth and exposed to compressed cold air from a syringe. After that, sensitivity indicators were recorded. Then, 38% SDF or 5% potassium nitrate was applied to the participants' teeth at four weeks and eight weeks later. According to the results of the study, after each application, patients were tested for sensitivity.
The authors write that the average percentage reduction in the sensitivity score in the SDF group was 60%, and in the potassium nitrate group – 50%. In addition, SDF continuously reduced hypersensitivity between each time point. However, potassium nitrate reduced dentin hypersensitivity up to a four-week follow-up without a significant decrease after this period, after discontinuation of the drug.
However, the study had limitations. The results may be less generalizable because the study participants were older adults, they wrote. More studies should be completed in the future to explore further differences between desensitizing drugs in reducing hypersensitivity to gain more information about their clinical applications, Hung and colleagues write.
“SDF continuously reduced dentin hypersensitivity between each application, starting immediately after the intervention and ending with an 8-week follow-up,” they added.