Recent advances in dentin hypersensitivity: clinically proven treatments for instant and lasting sensitivity relief.

To provide a brief overview of the diagnosis, epidemiology, etiology and clinical management of dentin hypersensitivity, to discuss technical approaches to relieve sensitivity, with special emphasis on dentin tubule occlusion and the clinical evidence for efficacy of desensitizing toothpastes based upon this approach, and to summarize the science behind a new dentifrice technology, based upon arginine and calcium carbonate, and the clinical evidence which proves that it delivers both instant and lasting relief of dentin hypersensitivity. Clinical studies have shown that a new toothpaste, containing arginine and calcium carbonate (known as Pro-Argin technology) with 1450 ppm fluoride, offers clinically proven instant and lasting relief of dentin hypersensitivity. Three 8-week clinical studies have shown that this new toothpaste provides statistically significantly superior efficacy in reducing sensitivity to market leading desensitizing toothpastes containing 2% potassium ion. Importantly, three further clinical studies have shown that a single direct topical application of toothpaste to sensitive teeth, using a fingertip or cotton swab followed by 1 minute of massage, resulted in instant relief of dentin hypersensitivity and that the relief was maintained with subsequent twice-daily brushing. Mechanism of action studies have shown that this technology physically seals dentin tubules with a plug that contains arginine, calcium carbonate and phosphate. This plug, which is resistant to normal pulpal pressures and to acid challenge, effectively reduces dentin fluid flow and thereby relieves sensitivity. A new whitening variant of this desensitizing toothpaste, containing the Pro-Argin technology, fluoride and a high cleaning calcium carbonate system, has now been clinically and scientifically validated. This toothpaste works by the same mechanism of action as its non-whitening counterpart and is clinically proven to provide both instant and lasting relief of sensitivity, while providing proven efficacy in removal of extrinsic stains. No difference in desensitizing efficacy was observed between the whitening and non-whitening versions.