Comparative Evaluation of Effectiveness of Three Desensitizing Tooth Pastes for Relief in the Dentinal Hypersensitivity

CONTEXT: Dentinal hypersensitivity is a sharp pain occurring on exposure of the exposed dentin to various stimuli such as hot, cold, air, tactile, and chemical. AIM: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of three desensitizing pastes in the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 45 individuals (with two teeth per patient) were considered for this study and randomly divided into three groups, Group 1: treated with 5% NovaMin-containing toothpaste, Group 2: treated with 8% arginine-containing toothpaste, and Group 3: herbal desensitizing toothpaste. Using tactile stimulus and air stimulus, the sensitivity scores were recorded on visual analog scale (VAS), immediately after paste application, then at 2 weeks, and then at the end of 4 weeks and compared. RESULTS: There was a significant change in the VAS scores in Group 1 when compared to Group 2 and Group 3. Group 1 showed better reduction in the hypersensitivity in long term. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: One-way ANOVA test, post hoc Tukey test, and post hoc Bonferroni test were used for statistical analysis. CONCLUSION: Desensitizing pastes can be an effective and economical option in the treatment of the dentinal hypersensitivity.