title: Clinical effectiveness of a potassium chloride containing chewing gum in the treatment of hypersensitive teeth.
abstract: Dental hypersensitivity has been observed in an increasing number of younger patients over the past few decades. The reasons for this include forced or false tooth-brushing techniques, and abrasions caused by bruxism or orthodontic procedures. The aim of the present study was to assess the possible benefits of a potassium chloride (KCl) containing chewing gum in dental hypersensitivity. The study population consisted of 59 selected university students (age: 25 +/- 4.4 years). Each subject suitable for entry into the study had more than 3 teeth sensitive to thermal stimulation (air stimulus range of 30-80 mm on a 100mm visual analogue scale (VAS), and showed signs of facial/cervical erosion, abrasion and/or gingival recession. Exclusion criteria were daily doses of medication, teeth with deep restorations, a gingival score of > 2, or periodontal surgery within the past 6 months. The total number of hypersensitive teeth was 217. Over a period of 3 weeks the subjects brushed with a non-desensitising toothpaste and, in addition, used the KCl chewing gum up to 6 times daily for 10 min on each occasion. This was followed by a period of 3 weeks of non-desensitising toothpaste use alone. The subjects were questioned on the severity of intraoral pain and asked to indicate the intensity of the pain on the VAS (baseline, 1, 3 and 6 weeks). Mean thermal sensitivity at baseline was 54.5 +/- 9 mm. There was a drop to 40.8 mm ( 1.9) after 1 week and to 28.6 mm (+/- 2) after 3 weeks. The reduction was statistically significant (p <0.001) at both measurement points. The mean rating increased to 29.1 mm after 6 weeks. The results of this study demonstrate that the daily use of a KCl containing chewing gum is a useful non-invasive method of reducing dental hypersensitivity over an extended period of time.
authors.affiliation: Department for Operative Dentistry, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Augustusplatz 2, D-55131 Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krahwinkel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Theiss
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Willershausen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002638:Chewing Gum; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003807:Dentin Sensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014100:Toothpastes
chemical_list: D002638:Chewing Gum; D014100:Toothpastes; D011189:Potassium Chloride