Treatment of dentin hypersensitivity with a low‐level laser‐emitting toothbrush: double‐blind randomised clinical trial of efficacy and safety

Abstract

Dentin hypersensitivity (DH) is defined as pain derived from exposed dentin in response to chemical, thermal, tactile, or osmotic stimuli that cannot be explained as having arisen from any other dental defect or disease. The aim of this trial was to test the efficacy and the safety of a low-level laser-emitting toothbrush on management of DH. A prospective, double blind, randomised clinical trial was designed; 96 individuals with hypersensitive teeth without caries or fracture were selected as subjects. The subjects were randomly allocated to either the test group with the 635 nm per 6 mW laser-emitting toothbrush, or the control group with the 635 nm per 12.9 μW light-emitting diode (LED) toothbrush. An air blast was applied with a dental air syringe held 3 mm away from the selected tooth and a visual analogue scale (VAS: 0-10) was used to quantify subjective pain. Assessments were completed at a screening visit and after 2-week and 4-week of using a test/control toothbrush. Results demonstrated that the use of both control and test toothbrushes resulted in decreased discomfort after 4 weeks. In the test group, pain intensity scores decreased from 5.8 ± 1.2 to 2.3 ± 1.6, and in the control group, the scores decreased from 6.4 ± 1.3 to 5.5 ± 2.0 (P < 0.05). This decrease was significantly greater in the test group. There were no significant adverse events or side effects. It was concluded that the use of the low-level laser emitting toothbrush is a safe and effective treatment option for the management of DH.

Evaluation of the Effects of 660-nm and 810-nm Low-Level Diode Lasers on the Treatment of Dentin Hypersensitivity

“…25 The routine daily activities such as tooth brushing or intake of foods containing carbohydrates and acids result in the recurrence, exacerbation, and continuation of such hypersensitivity; therefore, it will be useful for patients to observe oral hygiene measures and a proper diet. 31 In clinical and in vitro studies, 635-nm to 830-nm diode lasers have been used for the evaluation of the effect of lowlevel lasers on the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity. 24,32 These laser wavelengths have some effects, including the stimulation of circulation, increasing the biologic activity of cells and also analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, with the induction of muscular rest.…”

Management of dentine hypersensitivity: efficacy of professionally and self‐administered agents

“…This review included consideration of 174 papers, of which eight fulfilled the relevant criteria (Gerschman et al 1994, Tengrungsun & Sangkla 2008, Schwarz et al 2002, Ehlers et al 2012, Femiano et al 2013, Flecha et al 2013, Ko et al 2014, Talesara et al 2014. Two studies included parallel design studies and six were split-mouth design.…”

Treatment of Dentin Hypersensitivity: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials

“…Another was based on a comparison of a laser and a fluoride-containing mouthwash for the treatment of DH [19]. Four articles were devoted to assessment of the clinical efficacy of lasers for the treatment of DH [16,17,18,20]. One article was an assessment of the effect of an ozone producing device on DH [8].…”

“…Two studies [16,17] were considered to have moderate risks for bias. The criteria that were only partially fulfilled were the criteria for inclusion and exclusion, and the extent of the follow-up.…”