Intraoral fluoride releasing device: A new clinical therapy for dentine sensitivity

Background: Dentinal sensitivity (DS) occurs frequently in adult population s in western countries. The purpose of this work was to assess the effectiv eness of a new intraoral fluoride releasing device (IFRD) in reducing the l evel of pain in patients with primary or postsurgical dentine sensitivity. Methods: A total of 49 individuals were selected for this study, 15 of whom had post-periodontal surgery dentine sensitivity and 34 with primary sensi tivity. An IFRD was applied to 39, while 10 received a placebo device. All individuals in the control group suffered from primary sensitivity. The IFR D used in this study consists of sodium fluoride encased in an acrylic poly mer which releases fluoride at a rate of approximately 0.04 mg/day. All pat ients were asked to rinse with cold water (10 degrees C) and to indicate th e level of pain on a 0 to 10 visual analog scale, 0 equalling "no pain" and 10 "maximum bearable pain." All subjects were evaluated once a week during 4 months. Statistical analysis of dentine sensitivity was performed as a u nivariate study, in relation to the main factors: age, gender, and primary sensitivity or postsurgical etiology. Results: Symptoms decreased dramatically in all treated patients. The level of sensitivity did not change during the first week after IFRD application , but decreased significantly within the fourth week and remained absent th rough the duration of the treatment (P<0.01). Difference in sensitivity wit h respect to different etiology was significant only after 4 weeks (P=0.01) , while there was no statistical difference with respect to age or gender. Conclusions: This paper is an initial study to evaluate the effectiveness o f the IFRD. The method is fast, painless, inexpensive, and it appears to be suitable as a routine treatment. The presented data support the conclusion s at this stage and warrant more comprehensive evaluation.