Bleaching-induced tooth sensitivity with application of a desensitizing gel before and after in-office bleaching: a triple-blind randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: This randomized triple-blind clinical trial, split-mouth design, evaluated the application effect of the desensitizing gel before and after in-office bleaching on tooth sensitivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In one group, the desensitizing gel was applied for 10 min before the bleaching with 35% hydrogen peroxide, and then application of placebo gel after (n = 90). In the other group, the desensitizing gel was applied before and after the bleaching procedure for 10 min (n = 90). The primary outcome was pain intensity assessed with a numeric rating scale and a visual analog scale. Color was evaluated by means of a digital spectrophotometer and a shade guides. RESULTS: The proportion of patients that experienced pain in the side of before application was 90% (95% CI 82 to 94.6%), while the side of before and after was 93% (95% CI 86.2 to 96.9%), without significant difference between groups (OR = 0.25; 95% CI 0.005 to 2.52; p = 0.37). Pain was correlated in both groups, for the NRS scale (p < 0.0001) and the VAS scale (p < 0.0001) in all assessment periods. Significant whitening was detected, and no significant difference of color change was observed between groups (p > 0.45). CONCLUSIONS: The application of the desensitizing agent did not influence the effectiveness of bleaching, but it was not efficient in reducing the sensitivity, when applied before the procedure, or before and after. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The use of a desensitizing gel before or after in-office bleaching does not reduce incidence or intensity of tooth sensitivity.

Tooth Sensitivity After Dental Bleaching With a Desensitizer-containing and a Desensitizer-free Bleaching Gel: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES:: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to evaluate the risk and intensity of tooth sensitivity (TS) after dental bleaching with a desensitizer-containing and a desensitizer-free bleaching gel in adult patients. Color change and risk of gingival sensitivity was also evaluated. METHODS:: A comprehensive search was performed MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature database (LILACS), Brazilian Library in Dentistry (BBO), EMBASE and Cochrane Library, and System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe (SIGLE) without restrictions to identify randomized clinical trials. Abstracts from the annual conference of the International Association for Dental Research (1990-2016), unpublished and ongoing trials registries, dissertations, and theses were also searched. The quality of the evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations: Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. DATA:: After duplicates were removed, 1352 articles were identified. After title and abstract screening, only 47 studies remained for qualitative evaluation. Most of the studies had unclear risk of bias. No difference between groups were observed for the risk ratio of TS (risk ratio = 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.74-1.33); intensity of TS (standardized difference in means [SMD] = 0.04; 95% CI = 0.79-0.70); color change in shade guide units (SMD - 0.04; 95% CI = 0.50-0.42); color change in ΔE* (SMD = 0.41 (95% CI = 0.07-0.89); and risk ratio of gingival irritation (SMD = 1.05; 95% CI = 0.81-1.36). Except for the risk of TS, graded as moderate quality of evidence, all other outcomes were rated as low and very low quality. CONCLUSIONS:: Incorporating desensitizers in the bleaching gel did not reduce the risk of TS, and the quality of this evidence was considered moderate. On the other hand, the intensity of TS, color change, and risk of gingival irritation was similar between groups, but the quality of the evidence for these outcomes was graded as low or very low, thus reducing the level of confidence in these outcomes.

Combination of Acetaminophen/Codeine Analgesics Does Not Avoid Bleaching-Induced Tooth Sensitivity: A Randomized, Triple-Blind Two-Center Clinical Trial.

Bleaching-induced tooth sensitivity (TS) is highly prevalent. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine if the combination of opioids and nonopioids analgesics (Tylex) may provide a better analgesic effect. METHOD: A triple-blind, parallel, randomized two-center clinical trial was conducted with 105 healthy patients who received either a placebo or a combination of acetaminophen/codeine. The first dose of Tylex 30 mg (acetaminophen 500 mg/codeine 30 mg) or placebo was administered one hour before the in-office bleaching (35% hydrogen peroxide), and extra doses were administered every six hours for 48 hours. The TS was recorded using a visual analog scale of 0 to 10 and a numeric rating scale of 0 to 4 in different periods: during bleaching, one hour up to 24 hours, and 24 hours up to 48 hours postbleaching. The color was measured before and one month after dental bleaching with a visual shade guide (Vita Classical), Vita Bleachedguide 3D-MASTER, and the spectrophotometer Vita Easyshade. The absolute risk of TS was evaluated using the Fisher exact test. Data of TS intensity with numeric rating scale of the two groups were compared with the Mann-Whitney U-test and the Friedman test, while data from the visual analog scale were evaluated by two-way repeated measures analysis of variance and the Tukey test for pairwise comparison. The color changes between groups were compared using the Student t-test (α=0.05). RESULTS: No significant differences between the groups were observed in the risk and intensity of TS. The overall absolute risk of TS was approximately 96%. No significant differences between groups were observed in terms of color change ( p>0.05) for any scale. CONCLUSION: The use of an acetaminophen/codeine combination prior to in-office bleaching does not reduce the risk and intensity of bleaching-induced TS.